The Ontario Government introduced the Smart Metering Initiative (SMI) to create a conservation culture and encourage demand management across the province. The IESO has played a project management and coordination role in the SMI since 2006. The following provides a summary of the SMI’s history and the IESO’s involvement:

• December 2010:  Ontario remains on target to meet the Government of Ontario’s June 2011 objectives. Approximately 4.6 million smart meters are installed on Ontario homes and small businesses, 2 million meters are enrolled with the MDM/R and approximately 1.6 million customers are being billed on time-of-use (TOU) rates.

• May 2009: The Government of Ontario announces the provincial Time-of-Use (TOU) rate roll out targets. The first, a target to have one million Ontario households on TOU rates by the summer of 2010. The second, a target to have an estimated 3.6 million customers on TOU rates by June 2011.

• March 2008:  Newmarket Hydro becomes the first electricity distributor to begin enrolling smart meters with the MDM/R.

• July 2007: The IESO is designated the Smart Metering Entity by a regulation made under the Electricity Act, 1998.

• July 2006: The Government of Ontario appoints the IESO Smart Metering System Implementation Program (SMSIP) coordinator, which gives it direct responsibility over the MDM/R’s procurement, and the coordination of various program activities between affected parties. The role was formalized by a regulation made under the Electricity Act in September, 2006.

• July 2004: Ontario’s Minister of Energy issues a directive to the OEB under Section 27.1 of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 requiring it to develop and implement a plan to achieve the government’s smart meter deployment objectives.

• May 2004: The Smart Metering Initiative is introduced. The provincial government announces that 4.3 million Ontario homes and small businesses will be equipped with smart meters by 2010, and sets a target to install the first 800,000 before the end of 2007.