On November 5, 2012, Bill 2, Responsible Energy
Development Act (the "Bill"),
received second reading in the Alberta Legislature. The proposed
legislation will create a single provincial regulator, the Alberta
Energy Regulator, for all oil and gas related activities, which is
currently administered by the Energy Resources Conservation
Board in concert with Alberta Environment and
Sustainable Resource Development. In its current form, the mandate
of the Alberta Energy Regulator will be to provide for the
efficient, safe, orderly and environmentally responsible
development of upstream oil and gas, oil sands and coal development
in the province of Alberta. The Alberta Energy Regulator will be
responsible to consider and decide applications and other matters
in respect of pipelines, processing plants, mines and other oil and
gas related facilities and operations in the province from
application to reclamation.
