Fifth Session, Thirty-Eighth Legislature
This version is based on the printed bill that was distributed in the Legislature after First Reading. It is not the official version. If accuracy is critical, you can obtain a copy of the printed bill from Statutory Publications.
Bill 15
THE MANITOBA HYDRO AMENDMENT AND PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD AMENDMENT ACT (ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY)
| Explanatory Note |
(Assented to )
HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows:
PART 1
THE MANITOBA HYDRO ACT
The Manitoba Hydro Act is amended by this Part.
Section 1 is amended by adding the following definitions:
"compliance body" means a body authorized under clause 15.0.1(1)(c) to monitor compliance with reliability standards in Manitoba; (« organisme de contrôle »)
"reliability standard" means a standard, rule or requirement for the planning, design or operation of electricity generation and transmission facilities and major electricity loads in Manitoba within a regional electricity grid, for the purpose of
(a) providing a continuous supply of power, at acceptable voltage and frequency, in Manitoba and within the regional electricity grid, and
(b) minimizing instability, uncontrolled separation or cascading failures, and uncontrolled electricity flows, in Manitoba and within the regional electricity grid; (« normes de fiabilité »)
"standards body" means a body that makes or recommends reliability standards; (« organisme des normes »)
Subsections 15(5) and (6) are repealed.
The following is added after section 15:
Regulations re electricity reliability
The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) adopting for Manitoba reliability standards that have been made or recommended by a standards body;
(b) specifying the persons or categories of persons required to comply with the reliability standards, including the corporation;
(c) authorizing a body to monitor compliance with the reliability standards;
(d) subject to section 134 of The Public Utilities Board Act, authorizing a compliance body to impose penalties for violations of the reliability standards, which may include non-monetary sanctions;
(e) with respect to monetary penalties imposed for violations of the reliability standards,
(i) specifying to whom the penalties are to be paid,
(ii) requiring the amounts paid to be used for a specified purpose relating to electricity reliability or energy efficiency;
(f) respecting the payment of fees related to the making or enforcement of the reliability standards and other associated activities of a standards body or compliance body, including
(i) specifying the persons or categories of persons required to pay fees,
(ii) specifying how and to whom fees are to be paid, and
(iii) specifying the consequences for not paying fees;
(g) respecting any other matter related to reliability standards that the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable.
Adoption of reliability standards
A regulation that adopts reliability standards under subsection (1) may provide that a standard does not apply in Manitoba if the Public Utilities Board has remanded the standard under section 133 of The Public Utilities Board Act.
A reliability standard adopted under subsection (1) may not
(a) have the effect of requiring the construction or enhancement of facilities in Manitoba;
(b) apply to facilities in Manitoba that do not materially affect the regional electricity grid; or
(c) relate to the adequacy of generation resources for Manitoba.
Terminating authority of standards body or compliance body
If a regulation made under subsection (1) is repealed or amended, any agreement between the corporation and a standards body or compliance body terminates or is amended accordingly, unless the regulation specifies otherwise.
Corporation may make reliability standards
The corporation may make standards for the reliability of the electricity system in Manitoba. The standards are binding on the persons or categories of persons specified in the standards.
The corporation must not make a standard that is less stringent than or not compatible with a reliability standard adopted under subsection 15.0.1(1).
Corporation may make interconnection rules
The corporation may
(a) make rules, set terms and conditions, and issue directions respecting
(i) the interconnection of the works of others with the corporation's works, and
(ii) the operation of the works of others that are interconnected with the corporation's works; and
(b) carry out studies to evaluate the effects of a proposed interconnection.
Interconnection rules may include reliability standards
The rules, terms and conditions, and directions made under subsection (1) may include a requirement that persons whose works are interconnected with the corporation's works must comply with
(a) reliability standards adopted under subsection 15.0.1(1); and
(b) standards for reliability made by the corporation under subsection 15.0.2 (1).
Inspection power of compliance body
A person authorized by a compliance body may, at any reasonable time, and where reasonably required for a purpose relating to monitoring compliance with reliability standards adopted under subsection 15.0.1(1),
(a) enter land or premises and carry out an inspection, audit or investigation; and
(b) require any person to produce any relevant record for inspection or copying.
Inspection power of corporation
A person authorized by the corporation may, at any reasonable time, and where reasonably required for a purpose relating to monitoring compliance with standards for reliability made by the corporation under subsection 15.0.2(1) or rules, terms and conditions, or directions made under subsection 15.0.3(1),
(a) enter land or premises and carry out an inspection, audit or investigation; and
(b) require any person to produce any relevant record for inspection or copying.
A person authorized to perform a function under subsection (1) or (2) (in this section referred to as an "inspection") must show identification if requested to do so in the context of the inspection.
A person authorized to make an inspection may
(a) use equipment at the place of inspection to make copies of relevant records, or remove the records to make copies and return the original records to the person or place from which they were removed; and
(b) in the case of records maintained electronically at the place of inspection, require the owner or person in charge of the place or records to produce the records in the form of a printout or in an electronically readable format.
If a justice is satisfied by information under oath that
(a) a person authorized to make an inspection has been refused entry to land or premises to carry out an inspection under this section; or
(b) there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person authorized to make an inspection will be refused entry to land or premises to carry out an inspection under this section;
the justice may issue a warrant permitting a person authorized by the compliance body or the corporation, as the case may be, to enter the land or premises to carry out the inspection.
When corporation may enforce rules, etc.
In addition to any other legal remedy available to it, the corporation may take one or more of the actions described in subsection (2) if
(a) a person does not comply with the rules, terms and conditions, or directions made under subsection 15.0.3(1); or
(b) the corporation is satisfied that the interconnection of a person's works with the corporation's works could negatively impact power quality or the security or reliability of the supply of power.
The corporation may take the following actions under subsection (1):
(a) refuse to connect the person's works with the corporation's works;
(b) disconnect the person's works from the corporation's works;
(c) refuse to supply, or limit the supply of, electricity to the person;
(d) refuse to provide, or limit the provision of, electricity transmission service to the person.
Section 16.3 is amended
(a) in clause (1)(a), by striking out "the North American Electric Reliability Council, Mid-Continent Area Power Pool or any other industry organization" and substituting "an industry organization"; and
(b) in clause (2)(b) of the English version, by striking out "the North American Electric Reliability Council, Mid-Continent Area Power Pool or any other industry organization" and substituting "an industry organization".
Subsection 24(1) is amended by striking out "and" at the end of clause (b), adding "and" at the end of clause (c) and by adding the following after clause (c):
(d) enter upon any land or building to inspect, repair, alter or remove property or works, or take any other action necessary, for the purpose of enforcing the rules, terms and conditions, or directions made by the corporation under subsection 15.0.3(1) (interconnection of works of others with corporation's works).
PART 2
THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD ACT
The Public Utilities Board Act is amended by this Part.
The following is added after section 130:
PART V
ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY
DEFINITIONS
In this Part, "compliance body", "reliability standard" and "standards body" have the same meaning as in The Manitoba Hydro Act.
REVIEW OF FEES FOR STANDARDS BODY OR COMPLIANCE BODY
The minister may at any time request advice and recommendations from the board respecting the fees payable to a standards body or compliance body in relation to the making or enforcement of reliability standards by those bodies, and associated activities of those bodies.
For the purpose of carrying out its responsibilities under this section, the board may consider the business plan, budget and funding mechanism of a standards body or compliance body, and is entitled to be provided with any information it requires.
REVIEW OF RELIABILITY STANDARDS
Application to review reliability standard
Any person required to comply with a reliability standard or an amendment to a reliability standard that
(a) has been made by a standards body and adopted by regulation under subsection 15.0.1(1) of The Manitoba Hydro Act; or
(b) is proposed to be made by a standards body;
may apply to the board for a review of the reliability standard or amendment.
Upon completing the review, the board may, by order,
(a) confirm the reliability standard or amendment; or
(b) reject the reliability standard or amendment, in whole or in part, and remand it to the standards body for further consideration.
REVIEW OF FINDING THAT RELIABILITY STANDARD VIOLATED
Violation of reliability standard
If a compliance body finds that a person has violated a reliability standard in Manitoba or imposes a penalty for such a violation, neither the finding nor the penalty takes effect in Manitoba until confirmed by the board.
A compliance body may request the board to confirm a finding of a violation or a penalty.
In deciding whether to confirm the finding of a violation or the penalty, the board may consider any factor it considers appropriate, including, but not limited to, the desirability of a consistent approach to enforcing reliability standards throughout North America.
The board may, by order, confirm, confirm with variations, or refuse to confirm the finding of a violation or the penalty.
A monetary penalty that is either confirmed or confirmed with variations under this section must be paid in accordance with regulations made under subsection 15.0.1(1) of The Manitoba Hydro Act.
GENERAL
The board may coordinate its actions under this Part with government and regulatory authorities outside Manitoba.
PART 3
COMING INTO FORCE
This Act comes into force on June 30, 2007.