<Li> authorized the establishment of a market in electricity </Li> <Li> reorganized Ontario Hydro into five companies: Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the Ontario Hydro Services Company (later renamed Hydro One), the Independent Electricity Market Operator (later renamed the Independent Electricity System Operator), the Electrical Safety Authority, and Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation . (The two commercial companies, Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One, were intended to eventually operate as private businesses rather than as crown corporations .) </Li> <P> Ontario Hydro ceased operations on March 31, 1999 . Its assets and functions were transferred by provincial statute to two commercial successor corporations, Ontario Power Generation Inc. and Ontario Hydro Services Company Inc., as well as to two not - for - profit agencies, the Independent Electricity Market Operator and the Electrical Safety Authority . </P> <P> On March 31, 1999, Ontario Hydro reported in its financial statements that it had long term debts of $26.2 billion and assets totaling $39.6 billion . </P>

When did the separation of ontario hydro occur