The Hourly Ontario Energy Price (HOEP) was less than zero four times during the month of December. The lowest HOEP for the month was -$128.10 set on December 16, hour ending 4 while the lowest 5-minute interval price of -$128.10 occurred 27 times in December. A combination of low demand and ample generation are the key contributors to low-priced hours.
The highest 5-minute interval price for the month, $557.40, was set during December 5, hour ending 18, interval 10 and the highest HOEP for the month followed in hour ending 19, at $196.63. Both the lowest and the peak hourly market demand for the month occurred on December 5. In hour ending 3, market demand was 14,371 MW and in hour ending 18 it reached 22,976 MW.
The IESO publishes a monthly synopsis of any pricing events (HOEP greater than $200 or less than $0) at the beginning of each month. The IESO also publishes daily, weekly and monthly market summaries at http://www.ieso.ca/marketreports.