Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), you have a right to request information from certain public-sector institutions in Ontario, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) being one. All reference to “institution” below may be taken as references to the IESO.
Anyone can make a request for information – there are no restrictions based on age or where you live.
You can submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request if you wish to:
access general records in the custody and control of the IESO
request your own personal information
correct your personal information
access another individual’s personal information (with appropriate authorization or consent of the individual)
The IESO accepts FOI requests electronically via the FOI PRR Portal or by mail at the address available in the Contact Information at the bottom of this page. It is recommended you use the FOI PRR Portal for reasons of efficiency.
Submitting a FOI Request
When submitting a FOI request, please include a detailed description of the records or information requested. The IESO does not disclose any records in their native format.
There is a $5.00 Application Fee for each FOI request. Additional fees may apply to process a request.
You will receive a fee estimate from the FOI Administrator, if the processing fees will be more than $25. When processing fees are over $100, a deposit may be required.
The processing fee is determined by the:
search time (for example, the personnel time required to search for the records, either on paper or in a computer)
record preparation time (for example, time involved in severing/redacting exempt information prior to disclosure)
Fees are currently accepted by cheque and made payable to the Independent Electricity System Operator. Cheques are to be mailed to the address provided at the bottom of this web page.
If you fail to pay a required fee, such as the Application Fee or other additional fees required, the IESO is permitted to treat the file as “abandoned”, at which point the IESO may close the file. The IESO will generally deem a file abandoned if a fee is not paid by the date specified by IESO in any relevant notice (in most cases, this date is calculated as 30 days from the date notice is given). The IESO will not process a request until the required fee is paid.
Pursuant to FIPPA, an institution has 30 calendar days to process FOI requests except under specific circumstances. You will be notified if a time extension is required.
FOI Public Records Request
Online requests can be submitted by completing the e-Request form in the FOI PRR Portal. A user will be directed to create a login and password for the portal which must include a valid email address in order to receive updates on the requests. Records approved for disclosure by the IESO will be made available to the requester for download within the portal.
For instructions on using the portal refer to the FOI PRR Guide.
