The ATCO Gas natural gas settlement system code documents standards and business processes for determining and communicating settlement results and other market transactions between ATCO Gas and gas retailers, similar to Rule 021: Settlement System Code Rules for the electricity market. Interested parties worked with AUC staff in the drafting of the new AUC rule.
The AUC uses a consultative process to resolve settlement issues raised by stakeholders. An outcome from resolving these issues might be changes being made to Rule 028. Many of the issues are similar to the ones raised on the electricity market under Rule 021: Settlement System Code Rules. Consequently the rule change cycle for Rule 028 will be identical with that of Rule 021 in order to facilitate business process efficiencies within the two markets. The schedule will be as follows:

1. January 1 to June 30:
   a. Form sub-working groups to deal with specific issues, if required.
   b. Sub-working groups to provide recommendations and/or resolutions to those identified issues.
   c. Settlement working group to review recommendations.

2. July 1 to September 30:
   a. AUC to draft proposed changes based on recommendations.
   b. Circulate among settlement working group members for review.

3. October 1 to 15:
   a. Posting proposed rule changes on AUC’s web for stakeholder comment.

4. October 16 to 31:
   a. AUC to respond stakeholders’ comments.
   b. Posting AUC responses.

5. November 1 to 30: (AUC internal)
   a. Present proposed changes to AUC Commission members.
   b. Respond to Commission members’ questions.
   c. Seeking final approval from Commission members.

6. By December 15:
   a. Posting complete Rule 028, with proposed changes.
   b. Rule effective the following January.

​An industry consultation meeting was held on February 28, 2017. The next meeting is scheduled for the beginning of May 2017. Questions related to Rule 028 consultations should be directed to regulatorypolicy@auc.ab.ca.

The current Rule 028, version 1.5, was approved on December 8, 2015. Bulletin 2015-24 communicated that the approved revisions to the rule involve system changes and because of those changes market participants would be given time during 2016 to implement the required changes.