Steven Harper’s government, hellbent on developing Canada as an energy superpower, also harbours a conviction that energy regulation is nothing but counterproductive red tape to be shuffled off to the side. As we saw with his treatment of Linda Keen, head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, in 2007, Harper is blind to promoting solid …
Power and Politics (March 14) discussing the quality of information coming from Japan, assurances to Canadians from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the challenge of doing integrated safety assessment, and potential oversights in reactor safety thinking in Canada. The other guest is Linda Keen, former president Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The Lang & O’Leary Exchange …
The Council for Clean and Reliable Electricity, The Richard Ivey School of Business and the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy recently issued a valuable, insightful report authored by Professor Guy Holburn called “Guidelines for Governance of the Electricity Sector in Canada”.
Institutional reform is needed in Ontario’s electricity sector so that key public agencies can properly perform their duties serving consumers while balancing the needs of producers. This essay argues that the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) belongs on the list of key agencies whose inappropriately cozy relationship with government is harming consumers.
Establishing and sustaining an appropriate relationship between a regulatory agency and the respective governments it serves is the foundation stone for effective regulatory functioning. This relationship is guided by the regulatory mandate, key elements of which are the arrangements for the tenure of the decision makers. This essay addresses these issues in the context of …
Continue reading ‘Separating Electricity and Gas Regulation in Ontario’ »
On April 7, 2009 the Federal Court issued a decision reaffirming the federal government’s right to terminate without cause the head of a technical safety-oriented regulatory agency. The court decision and the surrounding facts illustrate a fundamental barrier to the independence of quasi judicial regulatory bodies where the key decision makers hold tenure at the …
Continue reading ‘Removal of Keen from CNSC: Commentary on Federal Court decision’ »