The Honourable John Hogan, QC, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, today announced a review of the Public Utilities Act. The review was one of the many recommendations of Justice Richard LeBlanc in his report “Muskrat Falls: A Misguided Project.” The review will ensure the Act is up to date, reflects best practices, and achieves its objectives in the best interests of the people of the province.
The Public Utilities Act was adopted in 1989. It was amended on a number of occasions with significant amendments occurring in 1998 and 2018. The most recent amendments were adopted to support a new electrical system operator for the province and established a transmission tariff to be applied when moving electricity through Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB), established by the Public Utilities Act, is an independent, quasi-judicial regulatory body appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and operates primarily under the authority of the Public Utilities Act.
The PUB is responsible for the regulation of the electric utilities in the province to ensure that the rates charged are just and reasonable, and that the service provided is safe and reliable. The PUB is also responsible for the supervision of rates charged by automobile insurers for the various automobile insurance coverages under the Automobile Insurance Act; limited regulation of the motor carrier industry in relation to certain passenger and ambulance operations under the Motor Carrier Act, as well as conducting hearings and other required activities under the Expropriation Act.
Since 2004, the PUB has been responsible for the regulation of maximum prices for petroleum products in the province in accordance with the Petroleum Products Act.
The review of the Public Utilities Act is anticipated to begin in the new year. Any legislative amendments will be considered through the normal legislative process.
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“The Public Utilities Act is a key piece of regulatory legislation that affects many residents of the province so it is only prudent that we conduct a review to ensure it is working as intended. This review is in no way a reflection of the work undertaken by the Public Utilities Board. The Board does important work; most recently it prepared a report on Rate Mitigation Options and Impacts, and an Automobile Insurance Review.”
Honourable John Hogan, QC
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General
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Public Utilities Act
Commission of Inquiry Respecting the Muskrat Falls Project
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Justice and Public Safety
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