The Public Utilities Act provides a definition of a "public utility" and "energy". Any company that provides energy to customers in the NWT, as defined in the Public Utilities Act, falls under the jurisdiction of the NWT Public Utilities Board.
There are currently six utility companies operating in the NWT that are regulated by the PUB. The Town of Norman Wells Gas Distribution system which used to operate in Norman Wells, ceased operations in 2014.
Three of the operating utilities, the NWT Power Corporation and Northland Utilities (Yellowknife) Limited and Northland Utilities ((NWT) Limited, are fully regulated by the PUB.
The other utilities are regulated by the PUB on a complaints-basis only, as they face some competitive pressures in the market. This means that, should the PUB receive a complaint about some aspect of these companies' operation, the PUB has the discretion to investigate the complaint and may decide to fully regulate that utility company again if it is warranted.