The Energy Transformation Network of Ontario was originally founded by the IESO in 2009 as the Ontario Smart Grid Forum. It includes member organizations from Ontario’s utility sector, industry associations, non-profit organizations, public agencies and universities working together to propose a vision for a smart grid in Ontario and examine the many components that comprise it. It is supported by the Corporate Partners Committee, which represents more than 45 private sector organizations active in the smart grid space – including, electric vehicle interests, energy retailers, energy management companies, systems integrators and equipment manufacturers.
In the summer and fall of 2017, the Forum began to consider a renewed mandate in light of a maturation of the smart grid-related discourse, both within Ontario and many other jurisdictions around the world. It was agreed that the issues the Forum has been examining in recent years was now more pressing than ever. Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), advanced distribution management platforms and new structural models for organizing the distribution sector are all challenging foundational notions of market boundaries, industry roles and responsibilities. Advanced transportation technology, environmental policy and other technological changes outside of the electricity sector are also having an increasing impact on the electricity system.
