Energy regulation is the missing link in energy governance in Iran. This lack has caused many problems, including imbalance, inefficiency, lack of equipment modernization and high energy intensity, and has slowed down the growth and improvement process in various energy sectors. After several decades of regulatory bodies in experienced countries, assessments now show the remarkable success of energy governance through regulatory bodies.
In this study, by examining two energy governance systems, China and the United States, which have a good history in energy regulation, a case study of the functioning of this concept in the energy sector has been conducted. The method used in this research is qualitative and uses a case study approach with data from library documents and an expert panel.
The results show that the energy governance system in China and the United States has significant differences in accordance with the economic and political ecosystems of the two countries. Considering the governmental nature of energy in China compared to the United States and the low expansion of competition in this country (compared to the United States), this country is more similar to the energy ecosystem of Iran. Accordingly, in the continuation of the research, while closely examining the differences in regulation in the two types of energy governance in China and the United States, policy achievements for Iran (with regard to the legal and executive infrastructure of energy regulation) are presented.