RFPOEBNGGFR09252019 - Natural Gas Guidance and Filing Requirements

Project Background
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is the regulator of Ontario's natural gas and electricity industries and also provides advice on energy matters referred to it by the Minister of Energy. The OEB's mandate and authority come from the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, the Electricity Act, 1998 and a number of other provincial statutes and regulations. The OEB reports on administrative matters to the Ontario legislature through the Minister of Energy but carries out its functions and responsibilities independently. 

The OEB’s mission is to promote a viable, sustainable and efficient energy sector that serves the public interest and assists consumers to obtain reliable energy services that are cost effective.
 
The OEB operates as an adjudicative tribunal and carries out its regulatory functions through oral or written public hearings and other more informal processes such as panels and committees. The OEB is also mandated to develop policies on various energy sector matters.
 
The OEB is working to develop a reference document for use by people who make applications to the OEB. The document has the working title Applications Guidance and Filing Requirements (Guidance) and will cover a wide range of topics related to natural gas and electricity, including natural gas facilities applications.

Natural Gas Facilities Applications
The OEB’s mandate with respect to natural gas facilities includes adjudicating:

• Municipal franchise agreement (MFA) applications, which govern the relationship between a gas distribution utility and the municipality in which its natural gas facilities are installed
• Certificate of public convenience and necessity (certificate) applications that permit the construction of natural gas facilities in specified areas
• Leave to Construct (LTC) applications that approve the construction, expansion or reinforcement of natural gas pipelines and ancillary facilities
• Applications for the designation of gas storage pools (DSPs)
• Applications to drill wells in DSPs and providing reports and recommendations to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRF) regarding the licensing of the wells
  
  Natural Gas Guidance and Filing Requirements
  The natural gas sections of the Guidance (Natural Gas Guidelines) will provide legislative and OEB policy context related to, and specific filing requirements for, the application types listed above, and will outline the key principles and expectations the OEB will apply when reviewing natural gas facilities applications. Preparing these sections is the focus of this assignment.
   
  This assignment does not include preparing material related to applications associated with natural gas rates, rate setting mechanisms, Mergers Acquisitions Amalgamations and Divestures (MAADs), gas marketer licenses, or the Quarterly Rate Adjustment Mechanism (QRAM).
   
  The Natural Gas Guidelines apply to both rate regulated and non-rate regulated companies. Rate regulated companies are those whose rates are approved by the OEB and include local natural gas distribution utilities. Non-rate regulated companies do not have their rates approved by the OEB.
  
  Objectives
  The OEB is seeking a professional technical writer or otherwise qualified individual (Writer) to assist the OEB in developing the Natural Gas Guidelines, which will be made publically available for use by February 2020.
   
  The term of the assignment is from October 21, 2019, to March 31, 2020 (approximately 23 weeks) with an option to extend for two (2) additional two (2) month terms.
  
  Full details are provided in the RFP document which is available only through MERX at www.merx.com or 1-800-964-6379, MERX reference number 160737.