New Regulatory Oversight: Lessons From Alberta’s Recent Reforms

In the past year, Alberta has undergone unprecedented environmental regulatory reform impacting its energy sector.

On June 17, 2013, the majority of the Responsible Energy Development Act ("REDA") was proclaimed in force, creating the Alberta Energy Regulator (the "AER"). Under REDA, the AER will ultimately assume specified regulatory functions from the Energy Resources Conservation Board, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development and Alberta Energy, with respect to upstream oil, gas, oil sands and coal development. The appointment of a single energy regulator had been one of six recommendations made by the provincially appointed Regulatory Enhancement Task Force, with a view of improving Alberta's investment attractiveness for the development of its energy resources. The appointment of the single regulator, which is consistent with recent parallel federal regulatory streamlining initiatives, results in one application, one review and one decision.