Energy Regulator Dialogues

About the Project

The Energy Regulator Dialogues, a pilot project, initially ran for three years beginning in Fall 2018. The project is the product of an earlier PPF initiative on energy regulation called Respect the Referees, which culminated in a May 2017 report.

The objectives of the initiative were to connect representatives of Canadian regulators and to create a space in which regulators could share best practices and learn from one another. To this end, PPF, in partnership with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ernst & Young, Canada Energy Regulator and CAMPUT hosted two ‘dialogues’ – one in fall and one in spring – annually for three years. Each session brought together 20 to 30 Canadian regulators, took place in a different Canadian city or were hosted virtually, and featured a different topic. The dialogues held were:

• Dialogue 1: Public confidence and transparency (Ottawa, November 2018).
• Dialogue 2: The changing regulatory compact (Calgary, May 2019).
• Dialogue 3: Regulatory co-creation (Ottawa, November 2019).
• Dialogue 4: Regulation in a period of transition (Virtual Sessions, April – May 2020).
• Dialogue 5: Competitiveness and innovation (Virtual Sessions, November – December 2020).
• Dialogue 6: Adapting to change and building resilience (Virtual Sessions, May 2021).

The initiative was guided by a Steering Committee, which was chaired by PPF and comprised of our partners. The Steering Committee convened at a working level to decide the scope and subject matter of each session. The Committee was supported by a PPF-run Secretariat.

Timeline: Fall 2018 to Spring 2021

Partners: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ernst & Young, Canada Energy Regulator, and CAMPUT

Objectives and Outcomes:

• Engage in unique discussions about key topics facing energy regulators, learn about and discuss tangible examples in the Canadian landscape, and be able to connect these ideas back to their own organization or practices;  
• Be able to share their own learnings, ideas, or best practices with other participants, as well as learn from other participants’ knowledge and experiences; and  
• Make connections with other regulators and expand their networks.  

Deliverables:

The Energy Regulator Dialogues will provide a unique value-add to participants by focusing on issues not discussed elsewhere, or with novelty in the scope, approach, or voices brought to the table in discussion of key issues. The Energy Regulator Dialogues will be guided by a Steering Committee, chaired by PPF and comprising of our partners in the initiative.

• Two thematic sessions per PPF fiscal year¹ for a three-year period (2021-2024)
• Ensuring each session focuses in whole or in part on the changing function of the Energy Regulator in Canada, and allowing ample time in each agenda for members of the network to speak freely and candidly about the challenges they face in the changing Canadian energy landscape. The core membership would be supplemented at these meetings by additional experts, speakers, or key government officials relevant to the particular topic for that session. 
• Providing all partners with a summary report

Contact: Shweta Menon