The purpose of establishing the VOR is to assist OEB staff in reviewing an applicant’s System Plan and to offer engineering, asset management, and investment planning analysis based on the vendor’s professional experience.
A vendor will be requested, on an as-needed basis, to work with OEB staff to meet timelines outlined in Procedural Order #1 (and subsequent procedural orders) in an application before the OEB.
The majority of the cases for which a vendor will be needed to review a System Plan are in respect of electricity distribution rate applications. However, the scope of work may include, less frequently, applications for transmission rates and OPG payment amounts. The steps required to perform the Distribution System Plan (DSP) review, for example, are as follows, as required:
- Provide a summary of the DSP and identify high level issues
- Interrogatories requesting any relevant information and documentation that is addition to the evidence already filed
- Review interrogatory responses and refine targeted issues
- Provide 2nd round of interrogatories or participate in Technical Conference, as required
- Provide input to OEB staff for written submission
- Provide associated reports to OEB staff, if required, which may be filed as evidence
- Appearing and testifying at OEB hearings
Term: 3 years with the option to extend for two (2) one (1) year extensions.
