The Ontario government announced March 12 that it had appointed the final two members to the Ontario Energy Board Modernization Review Panel.
The panel will have a broad mandate including reviewing the OEB’s plans for consumer protection, support for innovation and new technologies, and how the OEB should be structured and resourced to deliver on its changing role. The panel will seek feedback from the public starting in spring 2018, examine best practices from other jurisdictions and report back to government by the end of 2018.
Cara Clairman and Bruce Campbell will be joining the already-appointed Chair, Richard Dicerni, on the panel.
Richard Dicerni
Richard started his career with the federal government in 1969. In the 1970s and 1980s, he held a number of executive positions in the federal public service including Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Health and Welfare, and Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet. In 1992, he joined the Ontario Government as Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy. In 1995, he assumed the position of Deputy Minister, Education and Training.
Richard served as President of Ontario Power Generation between 2003 and 2005.
Cara Clairman
Cara is founder, President, and CEO of Plug’n Drive, a non-profit that is accelerating the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) to maximize their environmental and economic benefits. Plug’n Drive is recognized as a leader in the EV space.
Cara has more than 20 years of experience working in the environmental and sustainability fields, including 12 years working at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), initially as OPG’s environmental lawyer and later in the role Vice President of Sustainable Development.
Bruce Campbell
Bruce was President and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) from May 2013 to June 2017. He was instrumental in preparing Ontario’s power system for the integration of the province’s growing investment in renewable wind and solar generation. Under his direction, the IESO introduced innovative technologies such as storage into the power system and actively pursued more competitive, cost-effective solutions to meet future power needs.
Bruce also served on the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Member Representative Committee and on the Council of Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations, which supports sustainable and reliable electric power delivery to millions of consumers across the continent.
The OEB observes that in the last eight years, it has reviewed over 100 major rate applications and reduced requested rate increases by an average of about 40 per cent.
Grid modernization policy and regulatory reviews are underway in at least 30 American states. In Canada, the National Energy Board and the Alberta Utilities Commission have undertaken governance reforms to better promote regulation for the future.