“The public should not be excluded from an area of energy policy, such as regulatory hearings, because it is seen as too technical. The OEB itself argues that being more open to the public and including consumers in discussions will make it more trusted and improve the regulatory process.
“With the exception of the regulatory area in Ontario, which has funding for outside intervenors that represent consumer interests in hearings, there is a lack of structure, process, and culture of engaging consumers. And while the consumer is represented in the regulatory area, this representation is not directly coordinated with representation in any of the other energy policy areas and tends to be focused on short-term financial concerns. As a result, and despite the 2013 consultations, there continues to be a lack of informed and effective public input on Ontario’s energy policies.”
— Rosemarie T. Leclair, Chair of the Ontario Energy Board, Consumer-centric Regulation: From Vision to Reality, Speech delivered at the Ontario Energy Network, Toronto, April 28, 2014. Available At http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/oeb/_Documents/Speeches/speech_leclair_OEN_20140428.pdf.
— From: Mowat Centre report “Re-energizing the conversation.”