IndEco assists Ontario electric utilities with their conservation strategies

Monday, 01 November 2010

Under the recently released Conservation and Demand Management Code for Ontario Electricity Distributors, Ontario's local distribution companies (LDCs) for electricity are required as a part of their licence requirement to realize energy savings over 2011 to 2014 and demand reductions in the summer of 2014 that meet targets specified by the regulator, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB).

One of the first steps in the process is the preparation of a Strategy, that describes at a high-level, how they will meet their targets. IndEco is pleased to have assisted a number of utilities, including Burlington Hydro, Chatham-Kent Hydro, Halton Hills Hydro, North Bay Hydro, Oakville Hydro, and Middlesex Power in developing their strategies, which have now been filed with the OEB.

The LDCs, in preparing their strategies, were required to take into account programs designed by the Ontario Power Authority for business, consumer and industrial customers that the LDCs will deliver under contract to the OPA. At the time of filing, only general information about these programs was available to the LDCs. The OPA expects that its programs will meet 91% of the Ontario-wide energy reduction target (energy between 2011 and 2014), and 78% of the Ontario-wide demand reduction target (summer peak power in 2014).

The balance of the targets will be met through LDC-designed programs, for which OEB approval is required.

IndEco will now be working with LDCs in the development of their applications to the OEB for their programs. These programs may be offered by individual LDCs, or by groups of LDCs in concert. The program applications will address program logic, marketing plans, budgets and timelines, anticipated results, and evaluation, monitoring and verification plans.

Related information

The LDC's role in CDM: The new CDM Code
Highlights from the CDM Code and OEB letter on CDM targets
New performance incentive for LDCs' conservation initiatives (Updated)
CDM strategy: Burlington Hydro (links to strategies will be provided when available)
CDM strategy: Chatham-Kent Hydro
CDM strategy: Halton Hills Hydro
CDM strategy: North Bay Hydro
CDM strategy: Oakville Hydro
CDM strategy: Middlesex Power