Vulnerability Assessment & System Hardening Project

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has launched the Vulnerability Assessment and System Hardening (VASH) project which aims to develop policies and a framework to address the following three directives from the Minister of Energy’s Letter of Direction to the OEB dated November 29, 2023 (2023 Letter of Direction):

  • Incorporate climate resiliency into their asset and investment planning activities.
  • Engage in a regular assessment of the vulnerabilities in their distribution system and operations in the event of severe weather.
  • Prioritize value for customers when investing in system enhancements for resilience purposes.

Guidehouse Canada Ltd. has been retained as a consultant to assist the OEB in moving forward on the request set out in the 2023 Letter of Direction.

The OEB intends to explore a standard vulnerability assessment methodology and to include system hardening into distributor system planning processes, and is proposing the following as a starting point for discussion:

  • Standardize the methodology for risk-based vulnerability assessments
  • Develop a value-of-lost-load methodology
  • Develop a cost-benefit analysis
  • Set filing requirements for distributors to provide information on system hardening investments

The OEB will work with Guidehouse to develop a proposal on the above for stakeholder input. That proposal will be discussed at a stakeholder meeting that will take place in July, at which time stakeholders are encouraged to suggest alternative approaches for the OEB’s consideration in deciding how best to move forward. Details of the July stakeholder meeting will be communicated in due course.

Stakeholders that wish to participate in the stakeholder meeting are asked to email notice of their intention to registrar@oeb.ca before July 5, 2024. Email should include ‘EB-2024-0199 – Vulnerability Assessment and System Hardening’ in the subject line.


The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has launched the Vulnerability Assessment and System Hardening (VASH) project which aims to develop policies and a framework to address the following three directives from the Minister of Energy’s Letter of Direction to the OEB dated November 29, 2023 (2023 Letter of Direction):

  • Incorporate climate resiliency into their asset and investment planning activities.
  • Engage in a regular assessment of the vulnerabilities in their distribution system and operations in the event of severe weather.
  • Prioritize value for customers when investing in system enhancements for resilience purposes.

Guidehouse Canada Ltd. has been retained as a consultant to assist the OEB in moving forward on the request set out in the 2023 Letter of Direction.

The OEB intends to explore a standard vulnerability assessment methodology and to include system hardening into distributor system planning processes, and is proposing the following as a starting point for discussion:

  • Standardize the methodology for risk-based vulnerability assessments
  • Develop a value-of-lost-load methodology
  • Develop a cost-benefit analysis
  • Set filing requirements for distributors to provide information on system hardening investments

The OEB will work with Guidehouse to develop a proposal on the above for stakeholder input. That proposal will be discussed at a stakeholder meeting that will take place in July, at which time stakeholders are encouraged to suggest alternative approaches for the OEB’s consideration in deciding how best to move forward. Details of the July stakeholder meeting will be communicated in due course.

Stakeholders that wish to participate in the stakeholder meeting are asked to email notice of their intention to registrar@oeb.ca before July 5, 2024. Email should include ‘EB-2024-0199 – Vulnerability Assessment and System Hardening’ in the subject line.


  • OEB issues draft version of VA Report for comment

    The OEB has issued a draft version of the Vulnerability Assessment (VA) Report as a part of its Vulnerability Assessment and System Hardening (VASH) initiative, along with the VA Toolkit, a resource designed to assist distributors in preparation of VA analyses. The draft VA Report and VA Toolkit take into consideration feedback heard at the VASH stakeholder meetings.

    Stakeholders are invited to provide written feedback on the VA Report and VA Toolkit by January 23, 2025. Instructions for submitting written feedback and comments are in Appendix A of the OEB's letter.

    The OEB will finalize the report once feedback is considered. Current plans contemplate the issuance of a consolidated OEB report in summer 2025 that will include VA expectations as well as those for system hardening components of the initiative, stakeholdering of which will commence in early 2025.

  • About the VASH Project

    The DRRCE initiative was launched in response to the Minister of Energy's Letter of Direction to the OEB dated October 21, 2022. In 2023, the OEB submitted its report entitled “Improving Distribution Sector Resilience, Responsiveness & Cost Efficiency” (“DRRCE Report”) describing advice and proposals that reflect on current and anticipated future extreme weather impacts, best practices in climate change resilience, and options to enhance organizational capacity through efficiency measures.

    Subsequently, the Minister of Energy’s Letter of Direction to the OEB dated November 29, 2023 (2023 Letter of Direction) asked the OEB to develop and implement policies proposed in the DRRCE Report that will require electricity distributors to engage in activities to protect customers in a changing climate.


Page last updated: 17 Dec 2024, 02:59 PM