The Policy-Regulatory Nexus in Canada's Energy Decision-Making. From Best Practices to Next Practices. System under stress: Interim report # 2

Abstract

One of the linchpins of a modern energy system is the relationship between policymakers and regulators when it comes to public decision-making. This interim report aims to lay out the challenges that Canada faces in this area – within and between provincial/territorial and federal levels – and to explore options for informed reform of existing systems. It builds on the workshop “From Best Practices to Next Practices: Policy-Regulatory Relations in Energy Decision Making”, held on June 6 & 7 2017 at the University of Ottawa. This event featured a range of participants from government, Indigenous organizations, industry, ENGOs, and academia. The discussion focuses primarily on the relationships between, and roles of, policymakers (elected officials, executive branch, and legislature) and regulators (appointed officials, their agencies, and specialized professional staff). It also addresses critical issues that affect and are affected by this relationship, including Indigenous and public involvement, and collaborative processes. It is part of the broader Public Authorities research stream of the Positive Energy project, and is a detailed extension of the System Under Stress paper released in early 2017. System Under Stress outlines several tensions underlying policy-regulatory relations.