Canada and its provinces are once again going through growing pains that necessitate final resolution by the Supreme Court of Canada. The subject matter is climate change regulation and the federal government’s constitutional authority to set minimum standards for provincial carbon pricing through its Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (the Act)[…]
State commissions are seeing more filings: rate cases, requests for pre-approvals, corporate restructurings. Commissions also are instigating proceedings themselves: carbon reduction options, transmission construction, and renewable energy. Staff sizes are dropping due to retirements and hiring freezes[…]
Energy regulatory developments in the United States influence numerous sectors of the energy industry and address a wide range of issues. We report on key federal and state energy and environmental regulatory and litigation developments in the United States from 2018 through mid-2019, which should be of interest to readers of the ERQ[…]
I am delighted, and honoured, to be asked again to speak to representatives of one of Canada’s most important and far-reaching industries. A lot of us take this industry for granted, because natural gas heats our homes and powers our factories. It’s used by 21-million Canadians[…]
What if Canada developed climate change policy as if energy mattered? While this question may sound glib, Canadian climate policy from the early 1990s is most easily understood if one assumes that energy and climate imperatives had simply been disconnected[…]
Is the tail wagging the dog? Good corporate governance is fundamental to any effective, well-managed corporate entity. This principle applies equally to administrative agencies within a government framework. However, tribunals carrying out a quasi-judicial function within a parliamentary system present unique accountability and independence issues[…]
In March 2019, the Ontario Government announced a series of plans aimed at reforming the structure of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), as well as lowering electricity costs for consumers. Some of the Government’s proposed plans will be implemented through legislative amendments set out in the now-passed Bill 87 (which amends the Ontario Energy Board Act (OEB Act) and other statutes), while other changes are to be implemented through regulatory and policy updates[…]