On October 7, 2016, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC or Commission) confirmed it has no jurisdiction to consider or assess the adequacy of Crown consultation with Aboriginal groups that may be affected by a project under review. The ruling was issued […]
I. Introduction There was once a popular view that forecasted costs should be reviewed by the various utility regulatory bodies, such as the Alberta Utilities Commission (previously called “EUB”) or the Ontario Energy Board, under a forward looking ‘onus of […]
Introduction Electricity transmission is a natural monopoly. It is expensive to build. It requires highly specialized knowledge to plan and integrate with existing electrical systems. It has a long, linear footprint which takes a long time to consult about, assemble […]
Renewable energy mandates often accompany ambitious decarbonization policies such as Alberta’s recently announced Climate Leadership Plan. European experience shows that such mandates which generally include subsidized renewables (with near zero short-run marginal costs) can reduce conventional thermal generation facilities’ utilization […]
Canada is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, negotiated at the United Nations Conference of the Parties (“COP 21”) in December of 2015. As part of its commitment, Canada confirmed that it will reduce its greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions by […]
Introduction Energy development sometimes faces powerful local opposition in communities across Canada. Energy companies have found themselves under the microscope and regulators have been forced to confront their evolving role in this new context. New research from the University of […]