Alberta Record

· Bill / Definition Change · enacted

Bill 9 (31-1) — municipal government act public utility definition 2023

Bill 9 amends the definition of 'public utility' in the Municipal Government Act to include telecommunications and exclude residential and commercial street lighting.

High impactLocal autonomyCentralization of powerMunicipalitiesThe public, directly

What changed

  • Section 616(v) of the Municipal Government Act is repealed and substituted by Section 19(17) of Bill 9. The new definition explicitly includes telecommunications and explicitly excludes residential and commercial street lighting from the scope of 'public utility'.

Why it matters

  • This redefinition alters the scope of services considered 'public utilities' under municipal governance, potentially affecting municipal regulatory powers, service provision, and infrastructure development for telecommunications and street lighting.
  • The change may impact local autonomy in regulating these services and could shift responsibilities or oversight.

Other governance concerns

  • Municipal service provision
  • Infrastructure regulation

Primary sources (1)