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About the OEB
Welcome to About the OEB, where you'll find information about the Ontario Energy Board: who we are and what we do in regulating Ontario's energy sector; a message from our Chair; a list of Board members; a description of our organizational structure and services; an organizational chart and current Ontario energy statistics and maps.
Overview
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB or "Board") is the regulator of Ontario's natural gas and electricity industries. The Board also provides advice on energy matters referred to it by the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Natural Resources. The Board is a self-funding Crown corporation without share capital.
The Board's mandate and authority come from the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, the Electricity Act, 1998, and a number of other provincial statutes: Read about Legislation. The Board reports on administrative matters to the Ontario legislature through the Minister of Energy, but carries out its functions and responsibilities independently.
The OEB operates as an adjudicative tribunal and carries out its regulatory functions through public hearings that consider oral and written evidence or written evidence only. These provide a forum for individuals, or groups of individuals who may be affected by the Board's ruling, to express their comments and opinions to the Board and to participate meaningfully in the Board's decision making process. The public's participation helps ensure that the Board makes an informed decision. There are a number of ways you can participate in the Board's processes and assist the Board in its regulatory functions: Read about Participating in a Hearing.
The Board also creates and enforces rules for the electricity and natural gas sectors, and plays a role in regulatory policy development. Increasingly, the Board is carrying out some of this work through other, more informal processes. The Board is also responsible for electricity market oversight and for ensuring that regulated natural gas and electricity monopoly utilities comply with Board decisions and orders.
Other statutes which give jurisdiction to the Board are: the Municipal Franchises Act, the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act, the Public Utilities Act, the Assessment Act, and the Toronto District Heating Corporation Act. The Board's processes are generally governed by the Statutory Powers Procedure Act.
Objectives
The Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 sets out the following guiding objectives for the Board.
Electricity
- To protect the interests of consumers with respect to prices and the adequacy, reliability and quality of electricity service.
- To promote economic efficiency and cost effectiveness in the generation, transmission, distribution, sale and demand management of electricity and to facilitate the maintenance of a financially viable electricity industry.
Natural Gas
- To facilitate competition in the sale of gas to users;
- To protect the interests of consumers with respect to prices and the reliability and quality of gas service;
- To facilitate rational expansion of transmission and distribution systems;
- To facilitate rational development and safe operation of gas storage;
- To facilitate opportunities for energy efficiency consistent with the policies of the Ontario government; and
- To promote communication within the gas industry and the education of consumers.
Our Mandate
The Ontario Energy Board regulates the province's electricity and natural gas sectors in the public interest. Our mandate is determined by the provincial government, and is embodied in legislation and regulation.
Our Vision
The Board envisions a viable and efficient energy sector with informed consumers served by responsive regulatory processes that are effective, fair and transparent.
Strategic Objectives
Read our strategic objectives defined in the OEB Business Plan 2007-10.