Transition Binder for Minister of Natural Resources

Table of Contents

I. CER Overview

Mandate

This section contains an overview of the Canada Energy Regulator’s (CER) mandate. The CER regulates infrastructure to ensure safe and efficient delivery of energy to Canada and the world, protecting the environment, recognizing and respecting the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and providing timely and relevant energy information and analysis. The CER regulates interprovincial and international pipelines and powerlines, offshore renewable energy projects, oil and natural gas operations in frontier areas, and energy trade.

Figure 1: Overview of CER Mandate
Graphic image of pipeline junction Graphic image of powerline tower Graphic image of a power meter Graphic image of offshore oil exploration platform Graphic image of offshore wind turbine
Oil & Gas Pipelines Electricity Transmission Imports, Exports & Energy Markets Exploration and Production Offshore renewables
Construction, operation, abandonment and damage prevention of interprovincial and international pipelines, and related tolls and tariffs Construction, operation abandonment and damage prevention of international power lines and designated interprovincial power lines Imports and exports of certain energy products; monitoring aspects of energy, supply, demand, production, development and trade Oil and gas exploration and production activities in the offshore and on frontier lands not covered by an Accord Offshore renewable projects and offshore power lines
CER Act, Parts 2, 3 and  CER Act, Parts 2 and 4 CER Act, Parts 7 and 1 Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act (COGOA) CER Act, Part 5

Core Responsibilities

This section contains information on the CER’s core responsibilities.

Energy Adjudication: 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.

Safety and Environmental OversightFootnote 1: 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.

Energy InformationFootnote 2: 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.

Engagement: 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 our legislated mandate.

Strategic Plan

This section contains an overview of the CER’s first Strategic Plan, released this past year. The CER’s Board of Directors established this plan, incorporating input from the CER’s Commission, Indigenous Advisory Committee, and a variety of stakeholders.

The Strategic Plan establishes a clear path forward for the organization and is a road map of what Canadians can expect from the organization in the years ahead. Grounded in the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act), the Strategic Plan incorporates a bold Vision, Mission and Strategic Priorities that focus on improving how the CER delivers its mandate – it positions the organization on the right footing to fulfill our important role on behalf of Canadians.

The CER Vision is aspirational – setting the organization on a clear path of where we are headed.

  • An energy regulator with an exemplary workforce that has the confidence of Canadians; is dedicated to ensuring safety and environmental sustainability; builds strong relationships with First Nations, the Métis, and the Inuit; and enhances Canada’s global competitiveness.

The CER Mission remains steadfast with safety at the core of our mandate. It is further framed with a commitment to respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and continuing our work in energy information.

  • Regulating infrastructure to ensure safe and efficient delivery of energy to Canada and the world, protecting the environment, recognizing and respecting the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and providing timely and relevant energy information and analysis.

The CER identifies priority areas that strategically focus program activities. These Strategic Priorities extend beyond the outcomes of any one program. They require cross-organizational focus and leadership to drive a systematic shift in the way the CER works. The CER identified the following four interdependent Strategic Priorities:

Trust and Confidence

The CER Act mandates and empowers the CER to do more to build the trust and confidence of Canadians in the organization’s work and in the country’s energy regulatory system.

The CER will accomplish this by increasing our efforts to raise awareness of, and involvement in, the different types of work we do. We intend to build respectful relationships with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, foster an engaged and empowered workforce, and build an increased connection to the people we serve.

In 2021–22, we will increase the effectiveness of our communications, transparency, collaboration and inclusive engagement efforts across all programs. We will use new approaches, technologies and straightforward communications to have more two-way conversations with Canadians. In addition, we will enable the CER’s diverse team of experts and Canadians to participate in the important energy conversations taking place around us, share our data and analytics more openly, and improve our early engagement and public participation tools. Staff will be involved in implementing our Strategic Plan and in co-designing our desired organizational culture. We will also ensure we have an integrated and strategic human resources plan that positions the regulator for success for years to come.

Reconciliation

The CER is committed to building a renewed relationship with First Nations, the Métis, and the Inuit based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.

The CER Act enables and sets expectations for us to fundamentally transform the way we work with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. We embrace our new responsibilities and we have woven specific deliverables on Reconciliation into every aspect of our mandate. In doing so, we are helping to advance the Government of Canada’s commitment towards Reconciliation, which is a whole-of- government priority.

In 2021–22, we will be advancing several initiatives in support of our Reconciliation Strategic Priority to transform the way we work with the Indigenous peoples of Canada, with a commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We will enhance Indigenous peoples’ involvement in how we discharge our mandate by recognizing their unique cultures, knowledge and histories, improve the cultural competency of CER staff, and drive meaningful change in the CER’s requirements and expectations of regulated industry.

In our journey towards Reconciliation, the work of the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) will provide an invaluable source of wisdom and advice to the CER’s Board of Directors as a direct voice for the Indigenous peoples of Canada.

Competitiveness

The CER’s legislation notes the Government’s commitment to enhancing Canada’s global competitiveness through the work of the CER. Making timely and predictable decisions, facilitating innovation, and enabling sound projects into operations and through their lifecycle, are all areas where CER’s regulatory oversight can impact global competitiveness.

The Competitiveness Strategic Priority will focus on improving transparency, predictability and efficiency of our lifecycle regulation; enhancement and innovation in our regulatory approaches; and, researching innovative ways for a regulator to contribute to Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. We will engage regulated companies, Indigenous organizations, and stakeholders to explore and implement new regulatory approaches, identify and eliminate non-value-added methods, and clarify how the CER will approach new elements in its regulations with the CER Act implementation. We will use data to examine and streamline our own processes, eliminating regulatory requirements that do not deliver useful regulatory outcomes.

In 2021–22, we will enhance regulatory process transparency, guide industry with improved filing guidance, and work with other agencies to clarify new assessment factors. We will consult with participants in our regulatory processes to identify barriers and burdensome requirements that we can adjust while ensuring continued regulatory effectiveness. We will also initiate research on what regulators can do to assist in the transition to Canada’s low-carbon energy future.

Data and Digital Innovation

The CER’s Data and Digital Innovation Strategic Priority will create a sustained focus and culture throughout the organization for using data and information in a way that is meaningful for staff, industry, Indigenous peoples and the public. By investing in data-focused skills, solutions and systems, we will enable staff to deliver competitive regulatory services for the twenty-first century.

In 2021–22, the CER will offer basic and discipline-specific data skills training to CER staff. A data-savvy workforce will have the right competencies to deliver effective regulatory services, keeping pace with the state of the industry. The CER will prioritize data-driven solutions to fuel innovation as a modern regulator. We will mine and structure larger datasets to draw regulatory insights that may not be obvious through individual processes, projects or single-stage lifecycle analyses.

Additionally, the CER will continue to streamline several single-purpose regulatory tracking systems for routine administrative applications, leading to efficiencies for regulated companies and improving regulatory effectiveness by collecting and disseminating higher quality data.

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