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Application Planning Tool

The Application Planning Tool allows users to estimate the duration of a proceeding. It provides the mandatory steps as well as optional steps that can occur during the course of a proceeding. For the purposes of estimating the duration of a proceeding, the Application Planning Tool assumes that a hearing occurs.

How to Use

Select an application performance standard from the dropdown below. Enter the date in which the completeness letter was issued (or expected to be issued) by the OEB. A table will populate with all of the mandatory steps for the selected performance standard.

Optional steps are also provided for additional events that may arise and, consequently, affect the duration of a proceeding. The estimated completion date and calendar day duration are shown for each step while the total calendar days are provided at the bottom of the table.

To customize the timeline, steps can be added or removed. To add or remove: click on the checkbox beside the appropriate step.

The Application Planning Tool takes holidays into consideration when calculating the estimated date for each step, including the annual OEB holiday timeout period which occurs at the end of December and the beginning of January. As a result, the calendar date shown may not align with the step duration due to accounting for a holiday.

How to identify the steps

Type of Application

The following details the criteria for assessing which performance standard will apply to certain application types. These criteria are intended as a guide. The actual performance standard that will apply will depend on the exact nature of the application and its content, including any requests that may not be reflected below.

Rates Leave to Construct

Complex Electricity & Natural Gas

Below are the criteria that will inform whether the Complex performance standard will apply to a Leave to Construct (LTC) application. Section references in the table are to sections of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998.

Electricity LTC Applications	Natural Gas LTC Applications
Relates to a greenfield project Project requires a capital contribution or involves a complex economic evaluation or contestable connection procedure One phase of a broader or multi-phase project Involves significant new land rights If approved, will result in significant changes to the existing 'look' of the transmission line (e.g., changing from wood poles to steel structure or overhead lines to cables) If approved, will result in a change to the line voltage The application contains a supplemental request under any of the following sections: section 78 (electricity rates) section 98 (entry onto land) section 101 (construction of work upon, under or over a highway, utility line or ditch) Requires additions / revisions to the standard issues list No approved Environmental Assessment stipulating the route that the project must take Raises a significant factual, legal or policy issue	The project is subject to competition to serve an unserved area The project involves natural gas expansion funding (section 36.2) One phase of a broader or multi-phase project The application contains a supplemental request under any of the following sections: section 36 (natural gas rates) section 98 (entry onto land) section 101 (construction of work upon, under or over a highway, utility line or ditch) Raises the adequacy of Indigenous consultation as an issue Requires additions / revisions to the standard issues list Raises a significant factual, legal or policy issue

Electricity LTC Applications

Natural Gas LTC Applications

Relates to a greenfield project
Project requires a capital contribution or involves a complex economic evaluation or contestable connection procedure
One phase of a broader or multi-phase project
Involves significant new land rights
If approved, will result in significant changes to the existing 'look' of the transmission line (e.g., changing from wood poles to steel structure or overhead lines to cables)
If approved, will result in a change to the line voltage
The application contains a supplemental request under any of the following sections:
- section 78 (electricity rates)
- section 98 (entry onto land)
- section 101 (construction of work upon, under or over a highway, utility line or ditch)
Requires additions / revisions to the standard issues list
No approved Environmental Assessment stipulating the route that the project must take
Raises a significant factual, legal or policy issue

The project is subject to competition to serve an unserved area
The project involves natural gas expansion funding (section 36.2)
One phase of a broader or multi-phase project
The application contains a supplemental request under any of the following sections:
- section 36 (natural gas rates)
- section 98 (entry onto land)
- section 101 (construction of work upon, under or over a highway, utility line or ditch)
Raises the adequacy of Indigenous consultation as an issue
Requires additions / revisions to the standard issues list
Raises a significant factual, legal or policy issue

Short-form Electricity & Natural Gas

Below are the criteria that will inform whether the Short-form performance standard will apply to a Leave to Construct (LTC) application. Section references in the table are to sections of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998.

Electricity LTC Applications	Natural Gas LTC Applications
Involves a re-conductoring project that is predominantly on an existing transmission right-of-way If approved, will increase the ampacity rating / kcmil of the conductor, but does not change the line voltage (e.g., 155 kV to 230 kV) Involves a limited number of new permanent land rights There is an approved Environmental Assessment stipulating the route that the project must take Does not require additions / revisions to the standard issues list Exemption requested under section 95 Does not raise significant factual, legal or policy issues	The application does not contain any supplemental requests under the following sections: section 36 (natural gas rates) section 98 (entry onto land) section 101 (construction of work upon, under or over a highway, utility line or ditch) Are not subject to competition to serve an unserved area Does not raise the adequacy of Indigenous consultation as an issue Does not require additions / revisions to the standard issues list Exemption requested under section 95 Does not raise significant factual, legal or policy issues

Electricity LTC Applications

Natural Gas LTC Applications

Involves a re-conductoring project that is predominantly on an existing transmission right-of-way
If approved, will increase the ampacity rating / kcmil of the conductor, but does not change the line voltage (e.g., 155 kV to 230 kV)
Involves a limited number of new permanent land rights
There is an approved Environmental Assessment stipulating the route that the project must take
Does not require additions / revisions to the standard issues list
Exemption requested under section 95
Does not raise significant factual, legal or policy issues

The application does not contain any supplemental requests under the following sections:
- section 36 (natural gas rates)
- section 98 (entry onto land)
- section 101 (construction of work upon, under or over a highway, utility line or ditch)
Are not subject to competition to serve an unserved area
Does not raise the adequacy of Indigenous consultation as an issue
Does not require additions / revisions to the standard issues list
Exemption requested under section 95
Does not raise significant factual, legal or policy issues

Motion to Review

Select the application type below:

Select the Completeness Letter Received Date below:

NOTES

This dynamic tool was prepared for the purpose of illustrating to applicants, parties to proceedings and the public the possible duration of those proceedings and the potential impacts of changing the durations of various elements of the proceeding, steps to the proceeding, and/or removing steps from the proceeding. The timelines shown by the tool do not represent guarantees as to the duration of a particular proceeding. More particularly, the OEB does not guarantee, and makes no representations or warranties (express, implied, statutory or otherwise) as to the duration of a particular proceeding, the date of issuance of a decision, or that the timeline for a proceeding will not change as the proceeding moves forward. The duration of the proceeding will be affected by factors such as (but not limited to) the completeness of the application, the complexity of the proceeding, and the actions of parties during the course of the proceeding, including motions and other procedural steps.

Generally, the OEB receives Incentive Rate-setting Mechanism (IRM) filings from electricity distributors in tranches, depending on their rate year (January 1 or May 1) and the complexity of their applications. Every year the OEB sets the filing dates for each tranche based partly on a survey conducted with electricity distributors to determine the nature of the applications that distributors plan to file. The majority of IRM applications are mechanistic and therefore the OEB processes the applications without a hearing. The schedule above is intended for those complex IRM applications that require a hearing.

If you encounter any problems while using this tool, please contact ITHelp@oeb.ca.