In its submission to the Ministry of Energy on the Long Term Energy Plan (LTEP) APPrO has drawn attention to how existing resources can be used as a means of assisting with transition while minimizing consumer costs. The position paper also recommended establishing standards of transparency and independent oversight of the IESO.
APPrO’s core LTEP recommendations were as follows:
1. Minimize long-term electricity costs by:
• Maximize the economic use of existing resources
• Commit to long-term, transparent, stable, independent governance of the electricity system designed to maximize the effectiveness of market functions and competition amongst resource options;
• Conduct full independent cost-benefit analysis of all major planning commitments and disclosing the analysis as part of the LTEP; and
• Prepare well developed contingency plans specifying where and how additional capacity would be procured in the event that either supply or demand does not materialize according to the projections outlined in the IESO’s scenarios.
2. Establish firm and comprehensive standards of transparency.
When major supply agreements are under consideration, the proposed technical requirements and procurement mechanisms should be fully disclosed well in advance, and the methods for comparison of costs and market impacts, and reliability impacts, fully shared with all market participants and stakeholders. The methods and standards for ensuring this kind of transparency should form a key part of the LTEP.
3. Independent oversight and improved governance of the IESO.
APPrO recommends stronger governance for the IESO that brings it more in line with other similar organizations across North America.
The full submission is available on the APPrO website and on request from the APPrO office.