Positive Energy

The concepts of regulatory independence and effectiveness are under tremendous pressure. In recent decades, energy-decision makers have had to grapple with a rapidly expanding slate of economic, environmental and social issues. Looking ahead thirty years, Canada is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Successfully charting this future will depend in considerable measure on whether public energy decision systems – including regulators – are up to the job. Positive Energy Executive-in-Residence Mike Cleland and Positive Energy Chair Dr. Monica Gattinger are the co-authors of a brand-new report entitled Energy Project Decision Systems for Net Zero: Designing for Functionality, Adaptability and Legitimacy. They join the podcast to discuss what needs to change within Canada’s regulatory ecosystem to make net-zero by 2050 a reality. For more on Positive Energy, please visit our website: https://www.uottawa.ca/positive-energy/

Over the last forty years, proposals for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects have appeared around the globe, with mixed success. Most never obtain adequate funding or permits, but some proceed to a final investment decision and then commissioning. In Canada there are very few academic or public policy studies on LNG investment or which factors influence final investment decisions. Andrew Pickford's latest research for Positive Energy aims to fill that gap by addressing part of the larger question of “who decides and how?” when it comes to energy projects. He joins the podcast to discuss his new study, which compares the experiences of British Columbia and Western Australia in achieving positive final investment decisions in the LNG sector. Pickford discusses the implications for the future of LNG, renewable megaprojects, and the pathway to net-zero emissions. Please visit our website for more on the University of Ottawa Positive Energy program.

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.

Canada’s energy regulators are operating in increasingly dynamic contexts that do not lend themselves to a stable and predictable regulatory environment. Institutional and regulatory innovation will be vital to catch up and keep up with the pace of change and multiple competing imperatives. Where have we seen successful innovations in energy regulatory systems? How can we scale them up across Canada? Our guest is Dr. Patricia Larkin, a Senior Research Associate with Positive Energy. Her latest study explores these questions and is now available on the Positive Energy website.

How has COVID-19 affected Canadians' attitudes towards climate action? The sense of urgency appears to be trending up. Nik Nanos returns to the podcast to discuss results from the latest Positive Energy/Nanos quarterly tracking survey, including the appetite for climate ambition and levels of public trust in different information sources. Full survey results are available here