The Board received a directive from the Minister of Energy under Section 27.1 of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 (the Act) on July 16, 2004 (the Directive). In it, the Minister directed the Board to consult with stakeholders to identify options and address issues with regard to the targets. The Board was to provide an implementation plan for the achievement of the Government of Ontario’s smart meter targets to the Minister by February 15, 2005.
On January 26, 2005, the Board submitted its implementation plan on smart meters to the Minister of Energy. The proposed plan suggested the mandatory technical requirements for smart meters and the support systems distributors would require; set priorities for implementation in order to meet the government’s targets; identified regulatory mechanisms for the recovery of costs; and identified how barriers could be mitigated. In addition, the report addressed competitiveness in the provision and support of smart meters and the need for and effectiveness of non-commodity time of use rates.
The Ministry used information from the Report in formulating its implementation plan. However, the Report of the Board is now obsolete.