ABSTRACT
Ontario, like many other jurisdictions in North America and Europe, has been dramatically deregulating its electricity market. In November 1997, the provincial government issued a White Paper, establishing a Market Design Committee (MDC) composed of stakeholder representatives entrusted with creating the rules for allowing a competitive electricity market to develop. It was followed, in October 1998, by the Electricity Act outlining goals for that market, including: (a) protecting consumer interests regarding the price, reliability, and quality of electricity service; (b) promoting economic efficiency in transmitting and distributing electricity; (c) providing non-discriminatory access to transmission and distribution systems in Ontario, and (d) facilitating energy efficiency and the use of environmentally benign sources. The transmission and distribution assets of Ontario Hydro, the provincial utility, were assigned to Hydro One (then called Ontario Hydro Networks Company), with Ontario Power Generation taking over the production assets.
