Energy regulators have been vital to public policy for over a century, both as hubs of technical expertise and as deliberative bodies capable of looking beyond electoral cycles. Under this paradigm, Canadian regulators have emerged as reputable decision-makers and enforcers of the public interest. The concept of “regulatory independence” is central to this arrangement: independent, arm’s-length, trusted.

But the dynamics inside and outside of the sector are changing. New environmental imperatives, greater calls for public participation, broader consideration of Indigenous rights, and greater political fragmentation and polarization are all reshaping the roles and responsibilities of regulators and testing the concept of independence in new ways. How did we get here?

Positive Energy Research Associate Ian T.D. Thomson joins the podcast to share his findings on the concept of regulatory independence based on historical case studies of five Canadian energy regulators and what his research means for Canada's energy future in an age of climate change.