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(ETSR): Stakeholder Consensus Results - Presentation

PDF Version [19 Kb]

Canadian Forum on Trade Measurement, Vancouver BC
November 7, 2001

• Electricity Trade Sector Review goals
• ETSR stakeholder process
• MC non-negotiables
• Stakeholder consensus results achieved
• Next steps
• Panel discussion
• Your questions

• Determine appropriate level of MC intervention needed in today's electricity marketplace
• Investigate and recommend alternate service delivery mechanisms for marketplace services
• Propose a suitable performance measurement and reporting system
• Seek stakeholder consensus and commitment to implement needed changes

• Stakeholder pre consultations
• Electricity Stakeholder Advisory Group pilot
• Multi-stakeholder regional workshops
• Stakeholder National Consensus Meeting
• Stakeholder Representatives' Meeting

• Vulnerable parties must support all recommendations
• General agreement from all stakeholders needed
• All stakeholder groups must be represented and informed of the issues
• Outcomes to be aligned with MC Mission and Strategic Direction
• Solutions sustainable by all parties and consistent with international practices and standards
• Suit present and foreseeable future industry context
• Accountabilities clear and flexibility to revisit recommendations as we go

• Achieved at Stakeholder Representatives' Meeting held Nov. 1 - 2, Montreal
• Principles which follow are to be confirmed and documented in more detail in coming weeks

• Rule maker: MC is the final rule-making authority through its control of regulations
• Watchdog: MC must monitor marketplace and know that metering is accurate and equitable and report performance indicators to public and media
• Enforcer: MC must promote and enforce compliance
• Final facilitator: MC's dispute resolution service needed by all

• Process must be open, transparent, inclusive, efficient, effective, timely, make increased use of international standards and abide by WTO and NAFTA rules
• Requirements must be performance based, not prescriptive technology based ones
• Revised sampling plans, seal periods and meter testing specifications needed on urgent basis to facilitate marketplace introduction of new electronic metering technology
• Pilot project proposed: use the National Standards System consensus based process to develop a standard which relates to the introduction of new metering technology and its measurement accuracy
• MC to participate fully and mandate accuracy performance requirements by regulation referring to the consensus standard in whole or in part
• Considerations include costs, lead time, participation, balance, funding mechanisms, etc.
• If pilot is successful would be extended

• MC to continue to type approve meters and evaluate against minimum performance requirements in EGIA
• Manufacturers want faster turnaround on approvals do to shorter product life cycles of electronic meters
• New ASD mechanism needed to permit increased 3rd party testing or self-testing by manufacturers
• Meter test console certification: proposed that accredited organizations may recertify their meter test boards using a new procedure to be developed
• MC to continue to initially certify new test boards

• Duplication of Quality Management System audits by MC and by ISO Registrars at some organizations
• MC recognition of ISO Registrar QMS audits desired
• Coordination of timing of MC legal/metrological audits with ISO Registrar QMS audits proposed
• MC to continue to audit legal/metrological requirements and QMS for now
• Medium term: proposed that MC explore with Standards Council of Canada developing an industry specific ISO standard which would eventually replace existing accreditation standard

• Development of a uniform EGIA compliance and enforcement policy by MC proposed
• To use proactive industry conformity assessment methods and informational and possibly new administrative penalties approaches (e.g., ticketing)
• Policy would serve as strategic tool to target compliance problems and manage scarce MC resources
• MC staff would have procedures, training and support needed to enforce level playing field on consistent national basis

• Major power consumers (3 MW site or more) seek exemption from some sealing, e.g., to change firmware and from approval requirements related to meter functionality, e.g., event logger
• Still want accuracy type approval, initial and periodic reverification, access to MC dispute resolution process
• Standard wording in contractual agreements explaining implications of using such exempted meters would be required

• Submetering is a growing field in need of special attention as observed compliance rates are lower
• Understanding of rules not high and penalties for noncompliance not enforced
• Review of submetering requirements and development of revised ones proposed in consultation with submetering stakeholders
• Development of an enforcement policy consistent with new requirements also proposed

• Standard performance indicators and reporting by industry proposed for national implementation, e.g., QMS compliance, meter compliance rates, disputes
• MC not prevented from additional monitoring using own resources, e.g., to report number of MC meter tests/audits performed, observed compliance rates
• Performance data will be distributed in disaggregated form to MC and in aggregated form for public/media
• Flexibility needed to adjust indicators as we go

• Increasing consumers' awareness of MC's role and activities as champion of measurement accuracy and fairness will increase marketplace confidence
• Methods can be simple such as linking MC web site with consumer portals and utility web sites and putting 'consumer issues' button on MC web site
• Plain language information and compliance guides needed
• Industry accepts responsibility for informing their customers on metering issues/redress mechanisms

• Advisory Panel on Electricity Measurement (APEM) composed of industry and consumers is proposed
• Would review aggregate performance data and advise MC on work priorities, program and regulatory issues
• Considerations include clarifying role, ensuring value added, implications to MC if other sectors want this too, funding for consumer participation, burden for secretariat support, membership, government policy on advisory committees, etc.

• Implement a national utility data collection process to determine accuracy compliance levels of metering installations
• Reporting must explain procedures and standards used in determining compliance
• Results to be discussed with Advisory Panel an Electricity Measurement to decide next steps

• Document, confirm and communicate consensus results
• ETSR Team Recommendations
• Internal MC dialogue
• Decision making by MC senior management
• Industry Canada approval as needed
• Implementation Plan
• Stakeholder communications
• Implementation anticipated March 2002 - Aug. 2003