Use of Design Thinking by the Regulator in the process of applying Public Hearings in the electricity sector

The article analyzes the role of Public Hearings - PHs in shaping Regulation in the electricity industry in Brazil. A total of 1,077 PHs were examined where the Government, represented by the Regulator (National Electric Energy Agency – ANEEL), consulted civil society in the period from 2010 to 2019. The statistical survey separated agents by category, in order to better understand the leading role that each typology plays in the electricity sector industry. The article ends with an analysis of the use of the concept of Design Thinking - DT in the methodology of interaction with those interested in participating in Public Hearings. The DT can act in the integration of solutions between the themes proposed in the PHs, serving as an integrating agent in the simplification of regulatory policies.