Regulation - LGIC
Amendment of Ontario Regulation 493/01: Debt Retirement Charge - Rates and Exemptions, made under the Electricity Act, 1998.
Regulation Number(s):
O.Reg 493/01
Instrument Type:
Regulation - LGIC
Bill or Act:
Electricity Act, 1998
Summary of Proposal:
Net metering is a billing arrangement that allows customers to generate renewable energy onsite for their own use, and to receive bill credits for any surplus electricity sent to the grid.
Per the 2016 mandate letter to the Minister of Energy, the Ministry of Energy is tasked with:
… implementing an updated and streamlined net metering program, which supports customer choice in generating clean, renewable energy, helps reduce load on the electricity system and enables innovative technologies and customer-utility relationships.
The Ministry of Energy has proposed to remove the eligibility requirement for net metering that the equipment used to generate electricity be no greater than 500 kilowatts (kW), based on the rated maximum output capacity of the equipment.
The Ministry of Finance is proposing corresponding amendments to its definition of a net metered generation facility in Ontario Regulation 493/01 Debt Retirement Charge (DRC) - Rates and Exemptions to align with the Ministry of Energy's proposal described above. The corresponding amendments would remove the capacity limit from the definition of a net metered generation facility in O. Reg. 493/01, and will therefore allow those net meterers to consume specified electricity without payment of DRC. The amendments to O. Reg. 493/01 are proposed to be in force by July 1, 2017, consistent with the Ministry of Energy's proposed in-force date for O.Reg 541/05 amendments.
The DRC has been removed from residential electricity bills effective January 1, 2016 and legislation establishing a fixed end date of April 1, 2018 has been passed with respect to all remaining users.
Per the 2016 mandate letter to the Minister of Energy, the Ministry of Energy is tasked with:
… implementing an updated and streamlined net metering program, which supports customer choice in generating clean, renewable energy, helps reduce load on the electricity system and enables innovative technologies and customer-utility relationships.
The Ministry of Energy has proposed to remove the eligibility requirement for net metering that the equipment used to generate electricity be no greater than 500 kilowatts (kW), based on the rated maximum output capacity of the equipment.
The Ministry of Finance is proposing corresponding amendments to its definition of a net metered generation facility in Ontario Regulation 493/01 Debt Retirement Charge (DRC) - Rates and Exemptions to align with the Ministry of Energy's proposal described above. The corresponding amendments would remove the capacity limit from the definition of a net metered generation facility in O. Reg. 493/01, and will therefore allow those net meterers to consume specified electricity without payment of DRC. The amendments to O. Reg. 493/01 are proposed to be in force by July 1, 2017, consistent with the Ministry of Energy's proposed in-force date for O.Reg 541/05 amendments.
The DRC has been removed from residential electricity bills effective January 1, 2016 and legislation establishing a fixed end date of April 1, 2018 has been passed with respect to all remaining users.
Further Information:
Environmental Registry Posting - Amendment of Ontario Regulation 541/05: Net Metering
O.Reg 493/01: Debt Retirement Charge – Rates and Exemptions, made under the Electricity Act, 1998
Electricity Act, 1998
Proposal Number:
16-MOF029
Posting Date:
December 7, 2016
Comments Due Date:
January 6, 2017
Contact Address:
Ontario Financing Authority
1 Dundas Street West
Suite 300
Toronto ON M7A 1Y7
(416) 325-8000
regulatoryregistrycomments@ofina.on.ca
1 Dundas Street West
Suite 300
Toronto ON M7A 1Y7
(416) 325-8000
regulatoryregistrycomments@ofina.on.ca