On November 30, 2015 a conference jointly organized by the Ivey Business School and the Council for Clean and Reliable Energy presented an informative perspective on the subject of electricity privatization and restructuring. The event featured a keynote address by Stephen Littlechild, and expert panel presentations from Jan Carr and David Hay.
The Ontario government's decision to partially privatize Hydro One's transmission and distribution has restarted debate about the appropriate role of the private sector in the electricity industry, and ways in which privatization can effect short- and long-run performance. What will be the impact on costs, infrastructure investment, and rates of a part privately-owned and managed entity? What can be learned from other jurisdictions that have also restructured their electricity sectors over the last 20 years?
For answers to these questions, and insights on how privatization has worked elsewhere, join Professor Stephen Littlechild, an international expert on electricity privatization, competition, and regulation, for a keynote address and panel discussion. Littlechild is the architect of the 'RPI-X' model of price regulation, and he was the first regulator of the U.K. electricity sector, appointed by Margaret Thatcher in 1992. He is now an advisor on power sector reform to the World Bank, governments, regulatory agencies, and corporations.
Stephen Littlechild is Emeritus Professor, University of Birmingham, and Fellow, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He is an international expert on competition, privatisation and regulation in the utility sector.
Jan Carr is the former CEO of the Ontario Power Authority. He has 43 years of experience in the electricity sector as a professional engineer, holding senior positions in the design and planning of electricity transmission and distribution systems.
David Hay is the former CEO of New Brunswick Power Corporation, and former Vice Chairman of CIBC World Markets Inc. where he focused on senior relationships with power and utility and infrastructure clients.