 | |
| Formerly | Independent Market Operator |
|---|---|
| Company type | Crown corporation |
| Industry | Electric power transmission |
| Founded | 1998 (1998) |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Key people | Lesley Gallinger, CEO |
| Products | Electricity transmission and procurement |
| Owner | Government of Ontario |
| Website | ieso.ca |
TheIndependent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is theCrown corporation responsible for operating theelectricity market and directing the operation of thebulk electrical system in the province ofOntario, Canada. It is one of sevenindependent system operators inNorth America.
The IESO was established in April 1999 as theIndependent Electricity Market Operator (IMO) under thegovernment of Ontario during the premiership ofMike Harris in preparation forderegulation of the province's electrical supply and transmission system. As part of government plans toprivatize the assets ofOntario Hydro, the utility was split into five separate Crown corporations with the IMO responsible for directing the flow of electricity across the high-voltage, province-wide network owned byHydro One and other transmission companies. It was also given the responsibility of managing and operating the competitive wholesale electricity market and working with neighbouring jurisdictions to manage an integrated North American electricity network.
The IMO was renamed to the IESO in January 2005 as a result of the passage of Bill 100, which redefined the direction of deregulation and also led to the creation of theOntario Power Authority.
As a Crown corporation, IESO is owned by thegovernment of Ontario but operates at arms-length. It is governed by a board whose directors are appointed by the provincial government, its fees and licences are set by theOntario Energy Board and it operates independently of all participants in the electricity market.
In April 2012, the Energy Minister of OntarioChris Bentley introduced legislation inprovincial Parliament to merge theOntario Power Authority and IESO.[1] The merger was expected to take place in late 2012. After thePremier of OntarioDalton McGuinty resigned in the fall of 2012, the merger was postponed.
As of January 1, 2015 the IESO and theOntario Power Authority were merged.[2]
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