What the Future Holds
The impacts of the pandemic will be with us for some time; consequently, a priority for the Commission in the coming year will be to ensure that its adjudicative processes remain safe, transparent, accessible and fair to all participants.
In the months ahead, the Commission will focus on enhancing its operations in a way that is consistent with the CER’s Strategic Priorities. This will include projects and initiatives related to improvements to the Commission’s adjudication processes, its decision and recommendation reports, as well as the processes, systems and tools it employs in fulfillment of its mandate. As a contributor to the CER’s journey of Reconciliation, the Commission will continue to seek respectful and effective ways of hearing and considering oral Indigenous knowledge in its proceedings.
The Office of the Secretary of the Commission provides logistical and administrative support to the Commission. The Office was recently restructured to help advance those Commission priorities that are not related to specific adjudicative files but rather systemic in nature, yet still in service of adjudication excellence. The Commission expects that this restructuring will result in enhanced support for the Commission and that will continue to foster collaboration and alignment with the rest of the CER organization.
Over the next year, the Commission will continue to pursue its commitment to exemplary governance. The governance structure of the CER - which consists of a Board of Directors, a staff organization led by the CEO and an independent Commission - requires ongoing attention to ensure all three pillars of the structure work well together to effectively deliver the CER’s mandate.
Turning to the external environment, the Commission will continue to monitor a number of evolving policy areas including, for instance, the impact of carbon reduction policies on the energy infrastructure regulated by CER; Canada’s journey towards Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples; and the country’s progress in its energy transition. While external factors will continue to evolve, the mandate of the Commission will remain the same: working to ensure safe and efficient delivery of energy to Canada and the world, protecting the environment, and recognizing and respecting the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, both now and into the future.