TCM Updates

Background

As part of the AESO’s development of ISO rules required to establish and implement the capacity market, the AESO performed an extensive review of existing ISO rules. As a result of this process, the AESO identified a number of ISO rules requiring changes. Whereas certain changes to the existing ISO rules were considered essential for the implementation of the capacity market (“Amended EAS Market Rules”), others were not considered essential (“Category 2 Rules”). The ISO rules development consultation process associated with both sets of amendments commenced in July 2018 and concluded in March 2019.

On Jan. 31, 2019, the AESO filed its capacity market application which included the proposed Amended EAS Market Rules.

In a letter dated July 25, 2019, the AESO received notification from the Government of Alberta that Alberta will not transition to a capacity market, and will continue with an energy-only market. On July 29, 2019, the Alberta Utilities Commission (“AUC”) accepted the AESO’s request to withdraw its capacity market application, which included the proposed Amended EAS Market Rules. Consequently, the AESO did not file an application for the proposed Category 2 Rules.

The AESO is continuing to propose some of the amendments that were identified during the above review under the current energy-only market. The proposed TCM Updates for EAS essentially consist of amendments drawn from the proposed Amended EAS Market Rules and Category 2 Rules, absent capacity market-related content.