• About the Board
• Complaints and Letters of Concern
• Proceedings Before the Board
• Board Orders & Policy
• Legislation
• Reports
• Utilities Regulated by the Board
• Contact the Board

• Appointment Process
• Board Members
• Board Staff and Administration
• Contact Information
• Mandate of the Board
  • FAQs

FAQs

FAQs about the Board

What is the Yukon Utilities Board?

The Yukon Utilities Board is commonly referred to as the YUB. It is a regulatory Board that is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal. The YUB acts in the public’s interest. When considering a rate application, the Board reviews the financial requirements of the utility, such as fair return and impacts on the customer. The Board must consider both the sustainability of the utility and the recovery of rates from customers through reasonable charges for utility service. The YUB values and encourages the participation of those affected by its decisions.  

Who or what does the YUB regulate?

The YUB regulates the Yukon Energy Corporation and ATCO Electric Yukon. The YUB considers rate applications for the provision of electricity by these two utilities. For more information, please see the What We Do and What We Don't Do sections.

What kind of complaints does the YUB hear?

While the YUB does not regulate the daily operations of the regulated utilities, it does encourage all matters of utility complaints to be directed to the utility first. The YUB will expect that contact is made with a utility and any other reasonable inquires by the complainant are made before it will process a complaint or complaint application.

What process should I follow to make an enquiry or complaint?

Please contact the Board’s Executive Secretary at (867) 667-5058 or at yub@utilitiesboard.yk.ca.

What should I do if I can't find what I am looking for on this website?

Please contact the Board’s Executive Secretary at (867) 667-5058 or at yub@utilitiesboard.yk.ca.

FAQs about the Hearing Process

May I attend at hearing just to listen?

Yes. Hearings are open to the public and the Board encourages interested citizens to attend its hearings, and if they wish, become involved during the hearing process. 

How do I participate in a rate hearing?

Please contact the Board and for more information see the section Hearing Process. 

What is a presenter and how do I register as a presenter?

A presenter is someone who wants to make a statement to the Board about the application being reviewed in a public hearing. Presenters may attend the hearing but are not required to participate in the same way as an intervener. Presenters should pre-register with the Board. They should notify the Board in advance of the oral hearing of their intention to present.

What is an intervener?

Interveners are individuals or groups that want to take a position or express a concern about an application. An intervener can be opposed to or supportive of the utility’s application as submitted to the Board. Interveners are expected to actively participate in the hearing in order to present their own information and evidence, and to pose questions to the applicant. 

How do I register as an intervener for a hearing?

If you wish to register as an intervener, you must submit an application to the YUB by the deadline stated in the notice of hearing. The application must be specific and detailed about your interest in the application. Interveners are expected understand the issues under examination in the hearing and they must outline the issues which they intend to focus on in a hearing.  The YUB reserves the right to approve or deny intervener applications to participate. You must also re-register and submit an application for each hearing because the Board processes each application separately. 

What is the next step for an intervener after registering?

Once you are registered as an intervener for the hearing, you need to prepare for the hearing. Public hearings are often detailed, thorough, and time-consuming.

Interveners should be factual, specific, and thorough in outlining their concerns and they should demonstrate a position that does not duplicate the positions of any of the other parties. Interveners should try to suggest reasonable alternatives or their recommendations on the application, as well as any conditions that should be imposed on the utility.

Ensure that you are well prepared to discuss the issues that matter to you, and to thoughtfully answer questions posed by both the applicant and members of the Board. 

May I get information from the applicant?

Yes. The utility is required to provide parties to the hearing with a copy of its application, including any supporting information relevant to the hearing. YUB staff may assist interveners in collecting relevant information from the applicant, if needed. 

What are the rules of practice?

The Board’s rules govern the processes of the Board and the practices relating to its hearings. The Board’s Rules of Practice are found in the Board Orders and Policy section of the Board’s website. The rules should be consulted by all hearing participants before proceedings commence because they set out process and other requirements that parties must follow related to a proceeding. 

How long does a YUB public hearing last?

Every case is different. Hearings may last anywhere from one day to one week, depending on the application and the complexity of issues being considered by the Board.

Do I need to be there for the whole hearing?

No. Interveners, presenters, and members of the public are not required to attend the entire hearing. However, in the interest of reducing regulatory costs, interveners are generally expected to limit repetition by not asking questions covered by others during their absence. As such, the Board expects that interveners will actively participate in the hearing throughout its duration or they should ensure that their questions are not duplicative of other interveners.

Should I form a group to intervene?

The research and preparation required to participate as an intervener at a Board hearing is extensive, requiring a great deal of time and effort. A group submission may be helpful if you wish to mitigate the costs associated with such an investment of time and energy on issues that you may have in common with other interveners.

However, it should be emphasized that the Board is interested in learning from as many members of the public as possible as it makes its decisions based on parties’ participation and the decisions must be made in the public interest.

Do I need a lawyer to take part in a Board hearing?

No. If you simply want to make a presentation and not cross-examine a utility or other witness, you do not require a lawyer. Participants who want to intervene generally represent a private company, association, or special interest group. However, presenters and interveners may use the services of a lawyer, in preparing a presentation in a hearing. They generally cross-examine witnesses or present final arguments. Board staff are available to consult with participants on providing information about Board processes but they cannot provide you with legal advice.

Who pays the costs for participating in a public hearing?

Costs incurred by the YUB, directly or indirectly, are charged to the regulated utility, and are usually reflected in utility rates after the costs related to the proceeding are approved by the Board.

Who is eligible to receive costs for their participation in a hearing?

An intervener to a Board hearing may apply to recover hearing costs. Each cost application is considered by the YUB under Section 32 of the Rules of Practice and Section 56 of the Public Utilities Act. The YUB does not award costs to presenters, government agencies, or private firms with a financial interest in the proceeding.

How does the YUB determine what costs should be reimbursed to intervenors?

For eligible interveners, the Board’s Scale of Costs is used. The Scale of Costs is available under the Policy and Procedures tab of the website. It outlines the following considerations that the Board uses to assess the costs of all participants’ claim costs:

• The costs are reasonable, prudent, and directly and necessarily related to the proceeding;
• The participant acted responsibly during the proceeding and contributed to a better understanding of the issues before the Board;
• The participant made reasonable efforts to ensure that its evidence was not unduly repetitive of evidence presented by another participant;
• The participant made reasonable efforts to cooperate with other parties to reduce the duplication of evidence and questions or to combine its submission with that of similarly interested participants; and
• The participant needed legal or technical assistance to take part in the proceeding.

The Board may decide not to reimburse an intervener or may reduce costs claims if an intervener:

• asked questions on cross-examination that were unduly repetitive of questions previously asked by another participant and answered by the relevant witness;
• presented in oral evidence significant new evidence that was available to it at the time it filed documentary evidence but was not filed at that time;
• failed to comply with a direction of the Board, including a direction on the filing of evidence;
• submitted evidence and argument on issues that were not relevant;
• engaged in conduct that unnecessarily lengthened the duration of the hearing or other proceeding or resulted in unnecessary costs to other participants; and/or
• failed to comply with the Rules of Practice.