Canada Energy Regulator 2024–25 Departmental Plan

On this page

• Message from the Chairperson
• Message from the CEO
• Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
  • Energy Adjudication
  • Safety and Environment Oversight
  • Engagement
  • Energy Information
  • Internal Services
• Planned spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
  • Human resources
• Corporate information
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Definitions

Message from the Chairperson

On behalf of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), I am proud to submit our 2024–25 Departmental Plan.

This year is pivotal for the CER as we complete our three-year Strategic Plan and use what we have learned to develop our 2024–27 Strategic Plan. The new plan incorporates both stability with our first plan and a forward-looking approach to continued growth and maturation as a regulator. It remains grounded in four interdependent Strategic Priorities: Trust and Confidence, Reconciliation and Implementing the UN Declaration, Competitiveness and Regulatory Excellence, and a fourth and new focus on Preparing for the Energy Future.

We are guided by the direction of our Strategic Plan, and we will work to fully integrate these four Strategic Priorities to deliver outcomes within our core responsibilities: Safety and Environment Oversight, Energy Adjudication, Energy Information, and Engagement.

Preparing for the Energy Future means adapting to one of the most significant energy transitions in our lifetime. The CER has a critical role in this transition by anticipating and implementing innovative approaches to regulatory oversight that support the competitiveness of our energy infrastructure regulation while continuing to protect the safety of Canada’s people and the environment. Through this work, we will help to enable efficient and effective regulation of projects, which supports the transition to a low-carbon economy.

And we are not alone in our endeavours. We will seek ways to align with federal departments and agencies on clean energy growth, regulatory efficiency, climate resiliency and cumulative effects to ensure we provide clear and consistent guidance to project applicants.

We will continue to share information that supports Canada’s public dialogue on energy issues and informs decision-making by Canadians, governments, industry, and other interested parties.

We will continue on our path toward Reconciliation by working with Indigenous Peoples to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration), a commitment directly from our guiding legislation, the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act). Our Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC), which provides expert advice directly to the CER Board of Directors, guides a big part of our work in advancing reconciliation. The IAC promotes opportunities for positive systemic change, leveraging members’ experience in the energy and natural resource sector, and shares Indigenous values and teachings to help the CER Board of Directors to integrate Indigenous perspectives into its strategies, plans, and actions. Based on the committee’s advice, this year we will implement the CER’s National Indigenous Engagement Blueprint.

I also want to acknowledge the CER Commission's essential role in the overall delivery of our mandate through its responsibility for adjudicative processes and decisions, and I am grateful for their expertise.

I invite you to read about our initiatives in greater detail in the Message from the CEO and our detailed Departmental Plan.

George Vegh
Chairperson
Board of Directors of the Canada Energy Regulator

Message from the CEO

More than 500 CER staff across Canada work every day on behalf of Canadians to ensure that the energy infrastructure we regulate is designed and operated with the highest standards. I could not be more proud of how our team delivers on our mandate while working to make our organization more inclusive, equitable, and one where everyone thrives.

We are guided by the bold vision of our Strategic Plan, and we will work to ensure our four Strategic Priorities shape and influence the delivery of our core responsibilities to achieve results.

We are dedicated to pursuing regulatory excellence, and in the coming year we will explore ways to improve the predictability, transparency, and efficiency of assessing applications. We will continue to build the CER Portal to provide a user-friendly interface for timely access to regulatory documents and support efficiency for all participants. We will also work with regulated industry, landowners, Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders to update the Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment and Lands Sections of the Filing Manual.

As major projects such as the Trans Mountain Expansion Project move from the post-construction to operations phase this year, our safety oversight is shifting to post-construction monitoring, reclamation, emergency preparedness, and damage prevention planning. As part of this work, we continue to work closely with our partners on the Indigenous Advisory Monitoring Committees (IAMCs) to ensure there is Indigenous involvement in regulatory oversight and decision-making.

Our multi-year process to improve our regulatory framework for onshore pipelines continues. In the second phase of reviewing the Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR), we will engage with Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders in support of meeting our commitment to amend the OPR. We aim to develop and implement regulation that supports the highest level of safety, security, and environmental protection, addresses transparency and inclusive participation, provides for predictable and timely oversight, and encourages innovation.

We will also continue to support Canada’s climate commitments to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through our energy information work, along with efforts to ensure we are ready to regulate a changing and evolving energy sector. Collaborating with other regulators, we will work to develop clear roles and processes to ensure our readiness to regulate the transmission of a changing set of commodities and activities, which will require changes to existing or the development of new energy infrastructure. We will also develop and deliver transparent, timely and predictable review processes and oversight for regulated industry that enables deployment of clean-energy technologies.

As we deliver on our plan and mandate, we remain committed to advancing our work to promote and implement meaningful action on diversity, belonging and inclusion. We know that in order for the CER to succeed, we need to support the success of the people at the CER. We also know that more is needed to support our colleagues from equity-deserving groups. We will be deliberate in our workforce plans and focus on delivering a positive workplace culture so that everyone at the CER feels supported, empowered and proud to be a part of this organization, and we demonstrate not only cultural competency, but cultural intelligence.

This ambitious plan will require dedication and innovation – and speaking on behalf of our whole CER family of dedicated professionals, I assure you we are up to the task.

Tracy Sletto
Chief Executive Officer
Canada Energy Regulator

Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services:

• Energy Adjudication
• Safety and Environment Oversight
• Engagement
• Energy Information
• Internal Services

Energy Adjudication

Description

Making decisions or recommendations to the Governor in Council on applications, which include impact assessments, using processes that are fair, transparent, timely and accessible. These applications pertain to pipelines and related facilities, international power lines, offshore renewable energy, tolls and tariffs, compensation disputes resolution, energy exports and imports, and oil and gas exploration and drilling in certain northern and offshore areas of Canada.

Quality of life impacts

The Energy Adjudication core responsibility contributes the following Quality of Life domains and indicators:

• Environment: Companies provide information about the environmental effects of a proposed project in their applications to the CER. The CER Commission reviews these effects, among other factors, before making a decision or recommendation to approve or deny an application.
  
  The CER Filing Manual includes supplemental guidance that provides additional context for project applicants on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change assessments in relation to CER-regulated projects. This guidance aligns with the climate change adaptation^Footnote 1, and greenhouse gas emissions indicators.

• Good governance: The CER’s regulatory processes continue to evolve towards a broader discourse of impacts, including the respectful, consistent, and effective consideration and protection of Indigenous knowledge. This discourse is aligned with the Indigenous self-determination Quality of Life indicator, particularly regarding the direct engagement with Indigenous Peoples.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Energy Adjudication, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Energy adjudication processes are fair.

Table 2: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Energy adjudication processes are timely.

Table 3: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Energy adjudication processes are transparent.

Table 4: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Energy adjudication processes are accessible.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

The CER is committed to exploring ways to improve the predictability, transparency, and efficiency of application assessments. We are implementing an internal pilot program to issue decisions on completeness of small, routine applications within 30 days. Over the coming year, we will develop a risk-based approach to streamline assessment of low-risk applications, informed by internal analysis of historical data, feedback from industry, and regulatory best practices.

Improving access to reliable data and information allows more informed decision-making, better process transparency and efficiency, and more meaningful engagement for all participants of CER processes. The CER will continue to build the CER Portal, enhancing transparency by combining and expanding existing tools and providing a user-friendly interface for timely access to regulatory documents and supporting efficiency for all participants. This is informed by work done to date to launch the Applications Dashboard, Participation Portal and the refinement of internal tools such as templates.

The CER will continue to evolve guidance to reflect changing requirements, conditions, regulations, industry practices, and feedback received through regulatory processes and engagement on other initiatives. The CER has launched a process to update the Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment and Lands Sections of the Filing Manual in a manner that incorporates specific localized knowledge held by Indigenous Peoples^Footnote 2, as well as Indigenous laws, policies, practices, protocols, and knowledge, and strengthens measures to prevent and address impacts to Indigenous rights and interests, including in relation to heritage resources and sites of Indigenous significance.

We will continue to look for opportunities to align with and integrate information from federal departments and agencies on key topics such as clean growth, regulatory efficiency, climate resiliency and cumulative effects to ensure clear and consistent guidance to applicants. Building on our success with cooperative agreements to date, we are working to establish a Memorandum of Understanding with Environment and Climate Change Canada on proposed project assessments and consultation. Over the coming year, we will also work with the Environmental Assessment office of British Columbia to update our existing agreement to reflect a greater ambition to align work where possible.

The CER, in its Crown consultation coordinator role, is exploring innovative approaches to its supplementary consultations to meet the Government of Canada’s commitments and obligations with respect to its duty to consult and accommodate in a manner consistent with the UN Declaration. The CER will continue to build relationships with Indigenous Peoples over the coming year, evolving current practices to establish meaningful consultation processes that respect the uniqueness of individual First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities.

To support the Energy Adjudication core responsibility in 2024–25, the CER will:

• establish and maintain predictable timelines for decisions on whether applications submitted are sufficiently complete to proceed to assessment;
• review cycle times for improvements to the efficiency, transparency and timeliness for assessing condition compliance for approved projects to identify improvements;
• improve accessibility for everyone participating in energy adjudication processes by continuing to build the CER portal;
• engage on issues that will inform updates to the Socio-Economic and Lands sections of the Filing Manual to provide clear, relevant guidance that supports efficient processes and furthers reconciliation;
• initiate cooperative agreements with other federal and provincial agencies and regulators to clarify roles and responsibilities of their participation and decision-making related to CER application processes;
• continue to participate in federal conversations on regulatory efficiency in support of clean growth; and
• conduct early engagement and Crown consultation activities of potentially affected Indigenous communities, as required.

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

• Sections 183.2 (c), 262.2 (c) and 298.3 (c) of the CER Act outlines GBA Plus factors that must be considered in Commission recommendations to the Minister, such as health, social and economic effects, including with respect to the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors. The CER has issued filing guidance on assessing GBA Plus requirements in applications, and staff is trained in GBA Plus to assess applications using this guidance. Updates to the guidance will be informed by engagement on the Filing Manual and OPR in 2024–25.
• The CER’s Technical Specialists, Technical Leaders, Hearing Managers, Process Advisors, and Socio-Economic Specialists help ensure that the CER’s early engagement activities, Alternative Dispute Resolution services, and adjudicative processes (including Indigenous knowledge sessions) are accessible to diverse groups, including women, men, gender-diverse, and underrepresented people.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Activities under the Energy Adjudication core responsibility include impact assessments, which support the CER’s recommendations or decisions to the Governor in Council. These processes contribute to implementing:
  Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 – Increase Canadians’ access to clean energy;
  SDG 10 – Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality; and
  SDG 16 – Promote a Fair and Accessible Justice system, enforce environmental laws and manage impacts.

More information on the CER’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Energy Adjudication is supported by the following programs:

• Infrastructure, Tolls, and Export Applications

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Safety and Environment Oversight

Description

Setting and enforcing regulatory expectations for regulated companies over the full lifecycle – construction, operation, and abandonment – of energy-related activities. These activities pertain to pipelines and related facilities, international power lines, offshore renewable energy, tolls and tariffs, energy exports and imports, and oil and gas exploration and drilling in certain northern and offshore areas of Canada.

Quality of life impacts

The Safety and Environment Oversight core responsibility impacts the following Quality of Life domains and indicators:

• Environment: The CER holds companies accountable to environmental standards. These standards protect water, air, habitats, animals, plants, and farmland throughout the life of energy projects, such as pipelines and international power lines. Ecological integrity and environmental stewardship Quality of Life indicators such as the protection of conserved areas, the Canadian species index, water quality in Canadian rivers, and marine and coastal ecosystems are aligned with the Safety and Environment Oversight core responsibility departmental result that harm to people or the environment, throughout the lifecycle of energy-related activities, is prevented.
• Good governance: The CER includes Indigenous perspectives in its oversight programs and in all phases of the pipeline lifecycle. The CER’s work within the Safety and Environment Oversight core responsibility aligns with the Indigenous self-determination Quality of Life indicator. Working collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples to improve the CER’s regulatory framework will continue transforming our regulatory approach. These efforts support the achievement of UN Declaration objectives, reducing inequality of outcomes for Indigenous Peoples.
  
  Through this core responsibility, the CER also expects regulated companies to engage and consult in a way that respects the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples. The CER shares its requirements, along with guidance and best practices for companies in this regard.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Safety and Environment Oversight, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Harm to people or the environment, throughout the lifecycle of energy-related activities, is prevented.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

Preventing harm is the foundation of how the CER keeps people safe and protects the environment. The CER enforces some of the strictest safety and environmental standards in the world. On an ongoing basis, the CER focuses a significant portion of our oversight on construction-related activities to prevent serious incidents that harm people and the environment. As several major construction projects move into post-construction and operational phases this year, our oversight focus will include scrutiny on post-construction monitoring, reclamation, emergency preparedness, and damage prevention activities.

Collaboration with Indigenous Peoples during construction oversight will remain paramount to our reconciliation efforts. We will continue to support and enable Indigenous monitors to bring Indigenous perspectives into our work and enhance our oversight tools. As projects move into post-construction phases, the CER’s collaboration with the IAMCs remains important to ensuring the protection of Sites of Indigenous Significance during land reclamation. At the same time, our compliance planning processes will continue to evolve to better reflect Indigenous Peoples' priorities and address socio-economic issues specific to pipeline facility construction.

We are constantly assessing data and trends from our oversight activities to identify areas where companies can improve. In the coming year, we will continue to engage with regulated companies to share information and support their safety culture initiatives.

Engagement continues on the review of the OPR. Possible pathways to address issues raised in the first phase of engagement are being tested with Indigenous nations and communities, regulated companies, and other interested people through issue-specific workshops. In consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples, we are committed to amending the OPR in a manner that incorporates specific localized knowledge held by Indigenous Peoples, as well as Indigenous laws, policies, practices, and protocols. The review will explore opportunities to strengthen measures to prevent and address impacts to Indigenous rights and interests, including in relation to heritage resources and sites of Indigenous significance, as per Action Plan Measure 34 of the UN Declaration Act Action Plan.

To support the Safety and Environment Oversight core responsibility in 2024–25, the CER will:

• promote Safety Culture improvements by continuing to host industry workshops to share learnings and approaches, and promoting learning via the Safety Culture Learning Portal;
• continue to identify technical research projects that will encourage innovative and improved methods to strengthen pipeline integrity;
• lead, participate in, and promote research and development to enhance emergency management for CER-regulated facilities, with near-term emphasis on strengthening emergency preparedness oversight of liquids terminals and enhancing Indigenous involvement;
• continue supporting applications and engagement in Canada’s northern regions;
• strengthen expectations and continue to enhance compliance oversight in cyber security and process safety;
• continue evaluating opportunities to improve the application of our suite of enforcement tools and related processes to promote compliance and improve safety and environmental outcomes;
• advance the work outlined in our Forward Regulatory Plan, which sets out the regulations, regulatory documents, and guidance products that we plan to develop or amend over a three-year period;
• ensure readiness to assess and regulate potential transitional and new energy projects, provide clear and timely requirements and guidance related to new commodities and collaborate with other regulators to facilitate clarity of roles and processes for new energy infrastructure;
• use our regulatory oversight tools to ensure industry continues to assess evolving hazards related to extreme weather events, and ensure our oversight processes, tools, and capacity can respond;
• in collaboration with Indigenous groups and communities, enhance protection of Indigenous Peoples' rights and interests in compliance oversight, including continued participation of Indigenous Peoples;
• enhance compliance oversight planning and processes to better address socio-economic impacts;
• continue to advance our abandonment funding program by issuing final abandonment cost estimates in early 2024, and then direct companies to provide updated set-aside mechanisms and collection mechanisms to ensure funds are available for future abandonment; and
• continue to develop and implement a set of processes and procedures for the identification, monitoring, designation, and abandonment of orphan pipelines under the CER Act.

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

• The CER will continue to work to ensure that safety and oversight activities do not negatively impact Canadians from identifiable groups. The CER will enforce specific conditions placed on an applicant relating to GBA Plus matters in the application assessment process in subsequent oversight activity.
• The CER conducts a GBA Plus analysis pursuant to the Cabinet Directive on Regulation for its regulation development projects. The CER will continue strengthening its regulatory framework by assessing the impact that proposed regulatory framework changes could have on Canadians from identifiable groups. The Regulatory Framework Program applied a GBA Plus lens during the first phase of engagement on the Review of the OPR. The Discussion Paper (released in 2022) included a dedicated section on GBA Plus, seeking input on how gender and intersecting identity factors could influence the impact of the regulation on individuals. This input will guide the CER’s approach to our second phase of the OPR engagement process and will also inform potential improvements to the Regulatory Framework.
• Communications with regulated industry will use gender-neutral terms and promote gender-neutral terminology.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Activities under the Safety and Environment Oversight core responsibility include compliance verification, which supports the CER’s responsibilities in setting and enforcing regulatory expectations for companies over the full lifecycle. These processes contribute to implementing:
  SDG 7 – Increase Canadians’ access to clean energy;
  SDG 10 – Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality; and
  SDG 16 – Promote a Fair and Accessible Justice system, enforce environmental laws and manage impacts.

More information on the CER’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Safety and Environment Oversight is supported by the following programs:

• Company Performance
• Emergency Management
• Management System and Industry Performance
• Regulatory Framework

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Engagement

Description

Engaging nationally and regionally with Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders through open dialogue, asking questions, sharing perspectives, and collaboration. These activities pertain to all decisions and actions related to the Canada Energy Regulator’s legislated mandate.

Quality of life impacts

The Engagement core responsibility impacts the following Quality of Life domain and indicator:

• Good governance: Indigenous Engagement program outcomes are directly related to incorporating Indigenous perspectives in the CER’s work and ensuring that the CER’s engagement with Indigenous Peoples is meaningful to them. These goals are aligned with the Indigenous self-determination Quality of Life indicator.
  
  The Engagement core responsibility departmental results – that input provided by Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders influences the Canada Energy Regulator’s decisions and work; and secondly, Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders provide feedback that engagement with the Canada Energy Regulator is meaningful – guide the CER’s efforts in this area.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Engagement, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Input provided by Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders influences the Canada Energy Regulator’s decisions and work.

Table 2: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders provide feedback that engagement with the Canada Energy Regulator is meaningful.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

The CER delivers a regulatory system that Canadians can trust. We earn trust by being transparent, working collaboratively and being responsive to what we hear from stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples.

The CER is accountable to Canadians and Indigenous Peoples for ensuring our decisions and our work are informed by engagement. This accountability starts by providing those impacted by our regulatory oversight an opportunity to participate in our processes.

Engagement is integral to CER's regulatory effectiveness. It informs and provides value to all CER program areas. It is important that, as an organization, we identify issues, share learnings from our engagement experiences, and coordinate our efforts. Engagement is also a process that allows us to establish relationships to enhance our understanding of the diverse perspectives, interests and concerns needed for us to regulate in a manner that earns the trust and confidence of Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. Engagement helps identify and understand issues and opportunities for continual program performance improvement.

The Stakeholder Engagement and Indigenous Engagement programs define and provide a performance framework for the CER’s approach to engagement with those affected by our decisions and work. Through meaningful engagement, we gain a better understanding of the context for how the rights and interests of stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples are lived every day. We strive to do more than just listen to concerns and share information – we have a duty to be responsive and transparent about how we act on the feedback we receive – as it makes us a better regulator.

To support the Engagement core responsibility in 2024–25, the CER will:

• implement Action Plan Measure 34 as part of the broader whole-of-government approach to implement the UN Declaration Act Action Plan;
• implement the National Indigenous Engagement Blueprint, which we developed based on advice received from our Indigenous Advisory Committee;
• improve the cultural competency and build cultural intelligence of the CER and its staff;
• engage on potential pathways to address feedback received during the first phase on the OPR, including potential regulatory and guidance updates, process changes, and collaboration with other jurisdictions;
• enhance efforts to better understand region-specific safety, environment, and oversight concerns; and
• continue to engage with regulated industry, landowners, municipalities, provincial counterparts, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders in areas of mutual interest.

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

• The CER continues to use feedback from stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples to ensure engagement activities are inclusive and consider GBA Plus factors. We will use distinction-based approaches when developing engagement plans with Indigenous communities.
• Engagement measures enable the CER to monitor how effectively it engages a diversity of views to inform its decisions and work. The CER is continuing to improve its performance measures to collect information that is relevant to providing a more comprehensive picture of the impact of its engagement efforts.
• We are continuing to explore modern technologies to find ways to engage and collaborate with a more diverse and geographically dispersed audience. We will consider different approaches to sharing information with individuals and communities who do not have regular access to high-speed internet connections.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Activities under the Engagement core responsibility include engaging with Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders, which supports the CER to continuously improve its regulatory system and take action to prevent harm. These processes contribute to implementing:
  SDG 7 – Increase Canadians’ access to clean energy;
  SDG 10 – Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality; and
  SDG 16 – Promote a fair and accessible justice system, enforce environmental laws and manage impacts.

More information on the CER’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Engagement is supported by the following programs:

• Stakeholder Engagement
• Indigenous Engagement

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Energy Information

Description

Collecting, monitoring, analyzing, and publishing information on energy markets and supply, sources of energy, and the safety and security of pipelines and international power lines.

Quality of life impacts

The Energy Information core responsibility impacts the following Quality of Life domains and indicators:

• Environment: By sharing information, collaborating, and engaging with international and domestic partners, the CER continues to use the most relevant data and methodologies for assessing Canada’s energy system. These activities support the CER in delivering relevant and timely information for Canadians – including on topics related to climate change and GHGs – to make informed decisions regarding sustainable energy production and usage. Through its flagship energy information report, Canada’s Energy Future, the CER will continue to focus on the challenge of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. The CER will continue to build and improve its energy modeling capabilities to explore the complex and nuanced dynamics of Canada’s pathway to net-zero by 2050. This work aligns with the greenhouse gas emissions Quality of Life indicator.

• Good governance: The CER continues to seek ways to fill gaps in the energy information landscape in Canada, including the particular energy information needs of Indigenous audiences. Filling these gaps aligns with the Indigenous self-determination Quality of Life indicator.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Energy Information, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Canadians access and use energy information for knowledge, research, or decision-making.

Table 2: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result: Canadians have opportunities to collaborate and provide feedback on Canada Energy Regulator information products.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

Energy plays a fundamental role in the lives of all Canadians. Canada’s commitment to a net-zero future means more focus than ever on the energy transition and what that means for Canadians. Energy information serves to make sense of where that transition will lead both globally and domestically, what technologies will develop and at what pace, and what requirements could meet these changing energy needs.

The CER’s two Energy Information programs, Energy Systems Information and Pipeline Information, help inform Canadians by providing energy data, fact-based analysis, and energy supply and market projections. The CER also focuses on making information related to CER-regulated pipeline infrastructure more transparent and accessible. It publishes data visualizations that make complex data and information more understandable and helps Canadians navigate the CER regulatory oversight story. This information supports Canada’s public dialogue on energy issues and informs decision-making by Canadians, governments, industry, and other interested parties.

The CER is working on several high-profile energy analysis publications and data releases, including:

• Canada’s Energy Future: the CER’s long-term energy supply and demand outlook. We expect to release the next iteration of this report, including net-zero projections, in the spring of 2025.
• Market Snapshots: regularly published articles about various energy topics relevant to everyone in Canada. In 2024–25, the CER will continue to write about the energy landscape, including energy transition focus areas like electric vehicles, renewable energy sources, hydrogen and carbon capture utilization and storage. In addition, the CER will work in partnership with the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence to create a market snapshot that visualizes drilling sites on Saskatchewan Treaty lands.
• Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles: provide an overview of energy production, consumption, transportation, and trade for each of Canada’s provinces and territories. These profiles include information on all energy sources, including crude oil and refined products, natural gas, uranium, and renewables. They illustrate the diversity of Canada’s energy systems and provide readers with key facts and new developments in Canada’s energy systems. The 2024–25 release will include updated information and enhanced user experience and accessibility.
• Pipeline Profiles: a portal containing detailed information and regularly updated data on each of Canada’s major CER-regulated oil and natural gas pipelines. The profiles cover topics including pipeline flows, facilities, financials, and safety and environment. The 2024–25 updates include upgrading all static maps to an interactive format. These interactive maps will allow users to understand better the location of CER-regulated pipelines in relation to their communities. These maps will also contain information on provincially regulated pipelines in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The CER continues to work with provincial, federal, and other jurisdictional partners to advance the information in the profiles to better serve the needs of external parties, including Indigenous Peoples.
• Energy Commodity Statistics: The CER will continue to publish various statistics updates throughout the year, including historical monthly Canadian crude oil and equivalent and marketable natural gas production by province and territory; exports of natural gas and liquefied natural gas; exports of natural gas liquids; exports of crude oil and refined petroleum products; and imports and exports of electricity.

To support the Energy Information core responsibility in 2024–25, the CER will:

• continue to mature both the Pipeline Information program and the Energy System Information program to advance the CER’s Strategic Priorities;
• continue to publish bi-weekly Market Snapshots on a variety of energy topics, including the energy transition;
• continue to support the CCEI through collaboration on various energy data and information initiatives;
• explore redesigning the Interactive Pipeline Map to better illustrate CER-regulated pipeline infrastructure and its relation to communities and Canada’s broader energy systems;
• explore innovative machine language processing to assess and analyze external email queries as a source of user research for both the Pipeline Information and Energy System Information programs;
• continue to enhance energy system modeling capacity and development of tools, prioritizing the energy transition; and
• publish the next Canada’s Energy Future report, which will include net-zero projections, in the spring of 2025.

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

• The CER will continue improving digital content, accommodating the diverse needs of Canadians, so that it is equally accessible to all audiences. We will work to continually assess our programs with a GBA Plus lens by referring to the Canada.ca Style Guide, and in our support of Priority Area Three: Information and Communication Technologies for the CER’s Accessibility Plan.
• The CER will publish information about how the energy transition affects Canadians in their everyday lives by expanding the modelling for Canada’s Energy Future to include things like the cost and investment required to reach net zero, impact on households and businesses, and land-use impacts of renewable energy development. We will also look for opportunities in our publications to increase information about energy security and energy needs specific to Indigenous communities.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Activities under the Energy Information core responsibility include research and analysis, which supports the CER to convey timely and relevant information to Canadians. These processes contribute to implementing:
  SDG 7 – Increase Canadians’ access to clean energy; and
  SDG 10 – Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality.

More information on the CER’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Energy Information is supported by the following programs:

• Energy System Information
• Pipeline Information

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the CER’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of Internal Services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

The CER’s Internal Services play a central role in supporting the delivery of the CER’s mandate, ensuring employees have the tools they need to deliver high-quality work in the Canadian public interest. Internal Services will continue supporting the program work in each of the CER’s core responsibilities and implementing actions within our Strategic Priorities: Trust and Confidence; Reconciliation and Implementing the UN Declaration; Competitiveness and Regulatory Excellence; and Preparing for the Energy Future.

In 2024–25, Internal Services will:

• conduct and finalize a CER organizational culture assessment by engaging the workforce in defining its core values and embarking on a learning process to define the CER’s identity based on representative workforce feedback;
• strengthen our hybrid work model, create a flexible and supportive workplace culture, and continue to invest in technologies and tools that foster collaboration, communication, and efficiency;
• continue to support activities related to diversity, belonging and inclusion and belonging through engagements with employees, equity-deserving groups, and the CER’s Leadership Community of Practice, aiming to deliver a culture of belonging and well-being for all employees;
• operationalize Diversity and Belonging Roadmap-related recommendations, such as formalizing the CER career development framework, formalizing diverse hiring panels, and clarifying processes and tools for reporting and responding to misconduct occurrences;
• continue to implement the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Strategy and Action Plan to cultivate an Indigenous-inclusive workforce and recruit, retain, and advance Indigenous employees;
• through our financial management and acquisition programs, continue to support the CER in meeting the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensure a minimum of five percent of the total value of contracts are held by Indigenous businesses;
• streamline procurement, accounting, and financial management processes to deliver efficiencies and increase effectiveness within the CER;
• improve and mature integrated business planning to enable more agile delivery and prioritization across programs;
• enhance the CER’s potential for regulatory process automation by streamlining regulatory filing and providing staff with digital solutions that reduce manual interventions for routine, low-risk administrative applications;
• continue to strengthen the CER’s information technology foundation to ensure continuous operations, establish robust cybersecurity safeguards, and foster digital and data enablement and innovation;
• continually advance CER’s data and information management systems, solutions, quality, and practices to improve data and information availability and usability through open data sets and user-friendly interfaces and to facilitate informed decision-making through data analytics and insights;
• support and grow the CER’s data and digital community by offering training opportunities and creating channels for learning and knowledge sharing;
• maintain a high standard of client services in the areas of Facilities and Assets, Service Desk, Audio-Visual Services, and Mail Services;
• increase availability and accessibility of external communications and expand our reach to diverse internal audiences;
• expand our social media program for direct engagement with Canadians and timely information sharing;
• continue to improve upon the CER’s external site as a communication tool for Canadians, exploring the integration of new technologies to allow site visitors to find the information they are seeking quickly and easily; and
• increase staff capacity and results in the application of GBA Plus commitments internally and externally.

Related government priorities

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

The CER is included in the Government of Canada’s Phase 3 implementation of departments required to report on awarding contracts to Indigenous businesses. Measures taken in the organization to facilitate the achievement of the mandatory minimum target of five percent of the total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses are described below.

• The CER will strive to annually award at least five percent of the total value of CER contracts to Indigenous vendors by building relationships and gradually adjusting processes and expectations that support increased purchases of goods and services from Indigenous businesses and individuals.
• The CER will explore opportunities to include Indigenous Participation Plans in procurement strategies where there may be opportunities to provide employment, sub-contracting, and other economic benefits for Indigenous businesses and individuals.
• The CER will:
  • develop an organization-wide approach that is commonly understood, less complex, and barrier-free that maximizes the number of Indigenous businesses and individuals benefitting from the purchase of goods and services;
  • over the longer term, explore ways to strengthen management system components that focus on Indigenous procurement at the CER, such as data, evidenced-based goals, processes, accountabilities, guidelines, and training; and
  • conduct internal and, in the future, external communication about the Indigenous procurement at CER.

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the CER’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2024–25 with actual spending from previous years.

Spending

Figure 1: Spending by core responsibility in 2024–25

This chart shows 2024–25 spending by core responsibility and internal services.

• Energy Adjudication: $28,730,875 (25.79%)
• Safety and Environment Oversight: $22,962,958 (20.61%)
• Energy Information: $6,780,584 (6.09%)
• Engagement: $9,187,376 (8.25%)
• Internal Services: $43,731,861 (39.26%)

Table 1: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of the CER’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.

Variance between 2021–22 actual expenditures and 2022–23 actual expenditures

The 2022–23 actual spending is $3.05 million higher than the 2021–22 actual spending, and the variance is primarily due to:

• an increase of $6.49 million related to a Budget 2022 funding for regulatory renewal activities including Indigenous engagement and net-zero modelling; as well as funding to implement the Impact Assessment Act;
• an increase of $1.67 million related to other compensation adjustments including changes to terms and conditions of service or employment in the federal public administration;
• an increase of $0.61 million related to 2022–23 employee benefit plan costs;
• a decrease of $2.06 million mainly related to SAP implementation project;
• a decrease of $1.41 million mainly related to a Budget 2020 initiative to improve the CER’s ability to interpret and make data available digitally to Canadians;
• a decrease of $1.29 million related to a Budget 2018 initiative to transition to new impact assessment and regulatory processes; and
• a decrease of $0.96 million related to Budget 2017 Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committees as well as communications and access to information capacity.

Variance between 2022–23 actual expenditures and 2023–24 forecast spending

The 2023–24 forecast spending is $4.39 million higher than the 2022–23 actual expenditures mainly due to:

• an increase of $12.13 million related to a Budget 2022 funding for regulatory renewal activities including Indigenous engagement and net-zero modelling; as well as funding to implement the Impact Assessment Act;
• an increase of $4.71 million related to G&Cs;
• a decrease of $6.90 million related to a Budget 2018 initiative to transition to new impact assessment and regulatory processes;
• a decrease of $3.64 million mainly related to a Budget 2020 initiative to improve the CER’s ability to interpret and make data available digitally to Canadians; and
• a decrease of $1.91 million mainly related to other compensation adjustments including changes to terms and conditions of service or employment in the federal public administration.

Table 2: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of the CER’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the upcoming three fiscal years.

Variance between 2024–25 planned spending and 2025–26 planned spending

The 2025–26 planned spending is $10.48 million lower than the 2024–25 planned spending mainly due to:

• a decrease of $6.94 million mainly related to a related to a Budget 2022 funding for regulatory renewal activities including net-zero modelling, as well as funding to implement the Impact Assessment Act;
• a decrease of $2.46 million related Grants and Contributions;
• a decrease of $0.66 million mainly related to employee benefit plan costs; and
• a decrease of $0.42 million related to Refocusing Government Spending Initiative.

Variance between 2025–26 planned spending and 2026–27 planned spending

The 2026–27 planned spending is $1.07 million lower than the 2025–26 planned spending primarily related to Refocusing Government Spending Initiative.

The CER is funded through Parliamentary appropriations. The Government of Canada currently recovers a large majority of the appropriation from the industry the CER regulates. All collections from cost recovery invoices are deposited to the account of the Receiver General for Canada and credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Pipeline and power line companies that hold authorizations under the CER Act are subject to cost recovery. Applications before the CER for new facilities are not subject to cost recovery until the facility is placed into service, unless the company does not have any prior facilities regulated by the CER in which case a one-time levy is assessed following the authorization of construction.

Cost recovery is carried out on a calendar year basis.

Funding

Figure 2: Departmental spending 2021–22 to 2026–27

The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.

This bar chart shows the CER’s six-year spending trend. It includes actual spending for the fiscal years 2021–22 and 2022–23, forecast spending for the year 2023–24 and planned spending for the years 2024–25 to 2026–27. Amounts are depicted by Voted and Statutory amounts. An explanation of spending variances is provided below Table 1: Actual spending for core responsibilities and internal services and Table 2: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services.

Estimates by vote

Information on the CER’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024–25 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the CER’s operations for 2023–24 to 2024–25.

The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available at the CER’s website.

Table 3: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2025 (dollars)

Variance between 2023–24 forecast results and 2024–25 planned results

The 2024–25 planned results are $6.22 million lower than the 2023–24 forecast results mainly due to:

• an increase of $3.20 million related Grants and Contributions;
• a decrease of $3.26 million related operating Budget carry forward;
• a decrease of $2.69 million related to Refocusing Government Spending Initiative;
• a decrease of $1.33 million mainly related to employee benefit plan costs;
• a decrease of $1.33 million related to a Budget 2022 funding for regulatory renewal activities for Indigenous engagement; and
• a decrease of $0.81 million related to leasehold amortization.

Human resources

Table 4: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the CER’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Variance between 2021–22 actual full-time equivalents and 2022–23 actual full-time equivalents

The increase of 12.5 full-time equivalents from 2021–22 to 2022–23 is primarily due to:

• an increase of 40.1 full-time equivalents related to a Budget 2022 funding for regulatory renewal activities including Indigenous engagement and net-zero modelling; as well as funding to implement the Impact Assessment Act;
• a decrease of 10.3 full-time equivalents related to a Budget 2020 initiative to improve the CER’s ability to interpret and make data available digitally to Canadians;
• a decrease of 6.1 full-time equivalents related to changes across the organization to meet operational requirements;
• a decrease of 5.8 full-time equivalents related to a Budget 2018 initiative to transition to new impact assessment and regulatory processes; and
• a decrease of 5.4 full-time equivalents related to Budget 2017 Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committees.

Variance between 2022–23 actual full-time equivalents and 2023–24 forecast full-time equivalents

The decrease of 4.4 full-time equivalents is due changes across the organization to meet operational requirements.

Table 5: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the CER’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.

Variance between 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents and 2025–26 planned full-time equivalents

The decrease of 34.0 planned full-time equivalents from 2024–25 to 2025–26 is primarily due to a Budget 2022 funding for regulatory renewal activities, including Indigenous engagement and net-zero as well as funding to implement the Impact Assessment Act.

Corporate information

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the CER’s website.

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus

Information on the CER’s departmental sustainable development strategy can be found on the CER’s website.

Federal tax expenditures

The CER’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.

This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.

Definitions