2026 Event Schedule

As Ontario accelerates its grid modernization efforts, Hydro One is leading the charge with a customer-centric flexibility initiative that aligns with the province’s mandate for non-wires alternatives (NWAs). This session will explore how Hydro One is engaging commercial and industrial customers to unlock distributed energy resources (DERs) and demand-side flexibility as a viable alternative to traditional infrastructure investments. 

With regulatory support and a clear directive to prioritize NWAs, Hydro One has launched a pioneering flexibility program aimed at identifying, testing, and scaling customer flexibility. The initiative emphasizes deep customer engagement to understand willingness, capability, and barriers to participation. Key challenges – such as overlapping programs, market fragmentation, and coordination with embedded Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) – will be discussed alongside the breakthroughs that are shaping a more sustainable and scalable approach. 

What sets this session apart is its multi-jurisdictional perspective. Alongside Hydro One, NODES will share insights from supporting flexibility markets in both North America and Europe, highlighting structural differences and transferable lessons. A Norwegian grid operator with operational experience since 2019 will contribute a contrasting approach to customer engagement and DER integration. 

The session will be facilitated by a seasoned expert in customer programs and market design, ensuring a dynamic and interactive discussion. Attendees will gain insights into how trust, transparency, and institutional change are essential to treating customers not as passive ratepayers, but as active partners in grid modernization. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of what it takes to build a flexibility initiative that works – not just on paper, but in practice.