Residential/Business
> Connecting Generation to Horizon's Distribution System
Connecting Generation to Horizon's
Distribution System
Roles of Government Agencies and
Organizations
It is important for customers to understand
the roles of government bodies, agencies and organizations and
their involvement in generation connections. Clicking on the name
of the agency/organization in the table below will take you to the
website of that agency/organization.
Establishes public policy and develops
legislation and regulations relating to electricity
Legislative responsibility for the
Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the Ontario
Power Authority (OPA), the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), and
other agencies
Significant legislation: Electricity
Act, 1998 and Regulations, Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998,
Electricity Restructuring Act, 2004, Green Energy and Green
Economy Act, 2009
The Independent Electricity System
Operator (IESO) operates and manages Ontario's electricity
system at the generation and transmission level. It does not
design, build or own the system; it coordinates how the system
interacts and performs. The IESO monitors the performance,
reliability and future adequacy of the system to provide
electricity to Ontarians. The IESO creates electricity market
rules, matches generation with load 24/7, establishes the Hourly
Ontario Energy Price (HOEP) and settles wholesale electricity
payments.
Although the IESO operates the electricity
system, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) forecasts, plans and
is responsible for bringing new resources into the system in the
medium and long term so that the IESO has adequate resources to
manage. The OPA is also involved in demand management,
conservation, and renewable energy activities as directed by its
mandate and government. Recently, the OPA launched the Feed-in
Tariff program to accelerate the growth of renewable sources of
electricity. Click here for information on the Feed-in Tariff
program.
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is
responsible for ensuring that electrical equipment is installed
safely and meets required standards in accordance with the
Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC). Click here for the ESA's
guidelines for micro generation.
Measurement Canada (MC) is a federal
agency of Industry Canada with the mandate of regulating meters
and metering throughout the country. MC administers the
Electricity and Gas Inspection Act. R.S. 1985, C.E-4.
The Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE)
sets environmental standards for electricity projects in Ontario
and ensures that generators, distributors and transmitters
follow rules and standards when constructing and operating
facilities.
