September 24, 2020 – Federal, provincial, and territorial governments (“Parties”) acknowledge the entry into force, within the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), of specific rules regarding electricity transmission in Canada.

On June 25, 2020, Newfoundland and Labrador provided written notice to the Internal Trade Secretariat to enact specific rules on electricity transmission found in Annex 309: Electricity Transmission Service Providers and Trade in Electricity Transmission Services. These rules consist of obligations that require open and non-discriminatory provision of electricity transmission service and the use of a dispute resolution mechanism that includes electricity experts in any dispute panel. Annex 309 entered into force on September 23, 2020, 90 days after written notification was given, as specified in the text.

The rules do not apply to the Northwest Territories, Yukon, or Nunavut until two years after the date the territory has in place physical infrastructure connected to the bulk electric system outside of its jurisdiction.

Parties were permitted to file or amend exceptions to these rules, which are now reflected in the updated Party schedules in Part VII of the agreement available on the CFTA website at https://www.cfta-alec.ca/.