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This article provides an overview of recent regulatory and legislative developments of interest to Canadian energy lawyers from April 2021 to March 2022. It includes discussions of recent regulatory decisions and related judicial decisions, as well as changes to regulatory and legislative regimes impacting energy law. This article also discusses and comments on a number of ongoing regulatory and legislative developments to watch in the coming year. Topics discussed include the opportunities and challenges posed by decarbonization efforts, Aboriginal law, standard of review, and other natural resource and power developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of regulatory and legislative developments in Canada between June 2019 and April 2020. The authors reviewed decisions, regulations, policies, and federal and provincial legislation. Topics of note include a Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Vavilov clarification on the standard of review, climate change-focused legislative change such as the passing of Bill C-69, market access challenges, Alberta Energy Regulator decisions and the review of the Alberta Energy Regulator, developments with respect to carbon tax legislation, changes to Aboriginal law, and updates to utilities and electricity regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stores Block, a 2006 Supreme Court of Canada case, established that utilities are the sole owners of utility assets, thereby granting them the right to gain on the disposition of such assets. The case was game-changing, spawning a string of Alberta Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Canada, and regulatory body decisions. This article traces the progression of these decisions and examines their implications for property ownership principles, including utility asset dispositions, utility rate bases, the prudent investment test, and stranded assets. The authors ultimately argue that these interpretations of Stores Block have led to "deleterious effects" for regulated utilities in Alberta, and discuss resulting attempts at legislative intervention by the Government of Alberta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]