Ontario Launches Panel to Strengthen Local Electricity Distribution

Strengthening Local Electricity Distribution for a Competitive, Reliable Future.

Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, the Hon. Stephen Lecce, has announced the formation of the Panel for Utility Leadership and Service Excellence (PULSE), a new initiative to address the evolving challenges facing Ontario’s electricity distribution sector. Chaired by Anthony Haines, PULSE brings together a distinguished group of sector leaders and advisors to provide strategic recommendations for a more reliable, resilient, and future-ready distribution system.

PULSE is tasked with advising the Ontario government on policy, regulatory, and legislative measures to:

• Enhance operational performance and customer service across local distribution companies (LDCs)
• Address financing gaps for critical infrastructure investments
• Promote sustainable investment in municipally owned utilities
• Evaluate ownership, governance, and investment models to balance municipal priorities, financial sustainability, and system efficiency
• Reduce costs for ratepayers through shared services and procurement improvements

The panel will also examine disparities in service standards and connection timelines, particularly in response to extreme weather events, and recommend measures to strengthen customer service and grid modernization.

As articulated by Minister Lecce in a recent National Post op ed, Ontario’s electricity distribution sector is approaching a critical juncture, with several complex and interrelated challenges that the PULSE panel is expected to address. These include concepts such as undercapitalization, funding gaps, sustainability, sector resilience, governance, and related regulatory and policy frameworks. PULSE is expected to engage with stakeholders in an iterative approach to capture industry insights and actionable solutions.

Throughout the course of the Panel’s tenure, early work is expected to refine the scope and breadth of the recommendations to come. Sussex is closely following these developments, particularly key definitions such as ‘critical infrastructure’, ‘shared services’ and ‘target capitalization’, to develop insights.

PULSE is expected to deliver its final recommendations to the Minister of Energy and Mines in early 2026. In advance of this, the Ministry has opened a public consultation period for stakeholders to provide feedback on proposed changes to the electricity distribution sector. Comments will be accepted until December 26, 2025 via Review of Ontario's Electricity Distribution Sector.

Panel Members

• ‍Anthony Haines (Chair): Chair of Elexicon Corporation, Director at Ontario Power Generation, and former President & CEO of Toronto Hydro
• ‍Paula Conboy: Energy sector executive and governance expert, currently serving on panels in Australia and North America
• ‍Alex Nuttall: Mayor of Barrie and Alectra Board Member, with extensive public and private sector experience
• ‍David MacNaughton: President of Palantir Canada, former Ambassador to the United States, and senior advisor in government and business
• ‍Stephen Poloz (Expert Advisor): Economist and former Governor of the Bank of Canada

For more information or to discuss how Sussex can support your organization’s interests, please contact our team.