OEB updates performance standards for natural gas facilities applications

The OEB has concluded the review of its current performance standards for natural gas facilities applications, and today issued updated standards that will apply to those applications filed on or after April 1, 2024.

The current performance standards are determined by hearing type (i.e. oral vs. written ). An analysis of past applications identified that application complexity influences the time required for review and processing and this is not necessarily related to the type of hearing.

Accordingly, the OEB is updating these performance standards to establish a “complex” standard for complex applications and a “short-form” standard for straightforward applications. This approach of having complex and short-form performance standards is consistent with the performance standards established for other types of applications, (updates to Rates standards in 2019, Leave to Construct standards in 2021, and natural gas Quarterly Rate Adjustment Mechanism standards in early 2023).