Regulation in energy transition: 'Fit for purpose'?

This SSHRC-funded project explores whether regulatory institutions can adapt to support new and dynamic energy paradigms or whether they are resistant to change.

The project sets out four primary objectives: (1) to define and assess the role of energy regulators in governance for energy transitions; (2) to evaluate how regulatory frameworks—including the Bonbright Principles—are currently applied; (3) to compare regulatory approaches across three key Canadian jurisdictions (British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec); and (4) to identify whether and how regulatory environments are evolving in response to these challenges.

The study is rooted in sustainability transitions theory, which examines how socio-technical systems evolve in response to sustainability challenges, notably climate change. This perspective highlights that transitions are systemic, involving changes in technology, governance, actor configurations, as well as the rules that underpin these systems. In this context, regulators are both products of established regulatory regimes and potential agents for reform. The proposal critically explores whether regulatory institutions, steeped in historical practices, can adapt to support new, decentralized, and dynamic energy paradigms or whether they are resistant to change. The study adopts a multi-method approach focused on British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. It combines a literature review, documentary analysis of policy texts and regulator adjudications, key informant interviews with regulators, utility staff, and sector experts.

This research will address a central tension in modern energy governance: how to reconcile long-standing regulatory practices with the transformative demands of the energy transition. By exploring the evolving role of regulators, the proposal contributes to a more nuanced understanding of regulatory adaptation in the face of rapid technological and market changes, with significant implications for sustainable energy transitions.