The OEB has issued the Non-Wires Solutions Guidelines for Electricity Distributors (NWS Guidelines).

The NWS Guidelines replace the Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) Guidelines and provide OEB guidance on the role of non-wires solutions for rate-regulated electricity distributors. The change in name reflects the fact that non-wires solutions to address system needs can encompass a broader range of solutions than traditional conservation and demand management, including, but not limited to, third-party distributed energy resources such as energy storage and distributed generation.

The NWS Guidelines consolidate developments relevant to distributor consideration of NWSs that have occurred since the 2021 CDM Guidelines were issued.

The NWS Guidelines also include references to use of the OEB’s Benefit-Cost Analysis Framework for Addressing Electricity System Needs (BCA Framework) by distributors when assessing the economic feasibility of NWSs to address defined electricity system needs. The first phase of the BCA Framework is expected to be finalized and issued in spring 2024.

The OEB is reviewing whether further changes to the NWS Guidelines are needed to reduce barriers to distributor conservation activities. The NWS Guidelines will be updated in the future as needed to account for relevant developments.