Regulatory Decision-Making in Practice: Tolls, Tariffs and Public Interest Frameworks

Regulatory law influences how critical industries operate, invest, and deliver services across the economy. Decisions involving tariffs, pricing structures, infrastructure approvals, licensing frameworks, and market rules affect sectors ranging from energy and utilities to transportation, telecommunications, water, and other regulated industries. These decisions frequently require regulators to balance commercial realities with broader public interest considerations, including economic impacts, environmental outcomes, competition, consumer protection, and long-term infrastructure needs.

This session examines regulatory decision-making from a practical legal perspective, focusing on how administrative and regulatory processes operate across a range of industries in Canada. The webinar explores how regulators assess applications, weigh evidence, evaluate competing interests, and apply public interest principles in complex proceedings. Participants will gain practical insight into advocacy strategies, evidentiary considerations, and the interaction between legal, technical, and commercial issues within modern regulatory environments.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Public interest analysis in regulatory proceedings
• Tariff structures, pricing frameworks, and cost allocation
• Infrastructure and facilities approval processes
• Strategic advocacy in regulatory hearings
• Stakeholder participation and intervenor dynamics
• Evidentiary strategy and expert witness issues
• Economic, environmental, and policy considerations
• Commercial impacts of regulatory outcomes
• Managing regulatory risk and uncertainty
• Judicial review and appeal considerations
• Regulatory strategy across energy, utilities, transport, telecom, and infrastructure sectors
• Emerging trends in Canadian regulatory decision-making
• Lessons learned from complex regulatory matters