Ontario Energy Board Looking To Simplify Rate Applications For Smaller Distributors

On December 17, 2020, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) issued a letter inviting "smaller electricity distributors" to participate in a meeting to identify opportunities to improve regulatory efficiency for their rate applications. The OEB indicates that this is "an initial step in enhancing the efficiency of [its] applications process." It is part of the OEB's modernization efforts, which include finding process improvements to increase value for energy consumers.

The "smaller electricity distributors" invited to participate in this new process are those with fewer than 20,000 customers. The OEB lists 31 such distributors (which is about half of the licenced electricity distributors in Ontario). Through this process, the OEB seeks to obtain information about challenges faced by smaller distributors in preparing their cost of service rate applications, and how the OEB's Filing Requirements could be amended to address those challenges. The first meeting will be on