Canada Energy Regulator – 2022–23 Departmental Plan

Canada Energy Regulator – 2022–23 Departmental Plan [PDF 995 KB]

Copyright/Permission to Reproduce

ISSN 2562-9735

Table of Contents

• Message from the Chairperson
• Message from the CEO
• Plans at a glance
• Core responsibilities: planned results and resources
  • Energy Adjudication
  • Safety and Environment Oversight
  • Energy Information
  • Engagement
• Internal services: planned results
• Planned spending and human resources
  • Planned spending
  • Planned human resources
  • Estimates by vote
  • Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
• Corporate information
  • Organizational profile
  • Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Operating context
  • Reporting framework
• Supporting information on the program inventory
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions

Message from the Chairperson

On behalf of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), I am proud to submit our 2022–23 Departmental Plan.

This plan shares information about the critical work the CER does on behalf of all Canadians and sets out our agenda for the coming year.

The CER’s mission is regulating infrastructure to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of energy to Canada and the world, to protect people and the environment, to recognize and respect the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and to provide timely and relevant energy information and analysis. This mission aligns with the CER’s mandate and reflects our commitment to our Strategic Plan^Footnote 1.

2022–23 will mark the second full year of implementation for our three-year Strategic Plan. We will continue to drive change with our bold agenda, within an energy context that is changing and evolving: Canada’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; a growing interest in electrification; and other emerging trends in the industry. Our four Strategic Priorities: Trust and Confidence; Reconciliation; Competitiveness; and Data and Digital Innovation position the CER to proactively address the energy issues on behalf of Canadians today, and in the future. The public can also rely on the CER to stay focused on preventing harm and ensuring the energy system works efficiently.

This year is also our full second year of working with the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC)^Footnote 2, a key commitment of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act)^Footnote 3. This is one of the ways that our work towards advancing reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of Canada is supported by new tools from the CER Act. It is through building strong relationships – such as the relationship between the IAC and Board – that we will transform our work and support the organization’s achievement of its strategic priorities. This begins with delivering on the IAC three-year work plan, a central focus of which is co-developing approaches to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration)^Footnote 4 within the CER’s mandate.

As another essential component of our governance structure, the Commission of the CER (Commission)^Footnote 5, contributes to the overall effective delivery of the CER’s mandate, operating in a manner consistent with the strategic direction of the organization. We rely on the Commission to make decisions in an independent, timely, and predictable way, based on facts, science, Indigenous knowledge, and careful consideration of the public interest.

As we near the end of our second full year of working through a global pandemic, the CER, and its complement of more than 500 staff, will continue to lean on the creativity, resilience, and flexibility that has guided us through the past two years. The pandemic has turned our world on its head, but with disruption comes opportunity. The CER is always looking for ways to work differently and to innovate. Thank you to our agile and highly dedicated staff, who have shown they can adapt to any and all changing circumstances.

I invite you to read this plan to learn more about the CER’s direction for the year ahead.

Cassie Doyle
Chairperson
Board of Directors of the Canada Energy Regulator

Message from the CEO

As we look toward the coming year, the CER is well placed to continue delivering an exemplary regulatory system that Canadians can trust. Our four core responsibilities of safety and environment oversight, energy adjudication, energy information, and engagement are the foundation of our work, and describe how we regulate pipelines, energy development and energy trade in the Canadian public interest. The CER’s team of more than 500 dedicated public servants from coast-to-coast-to-coast work together, across these areas, to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of energy to Canada and the world.

Our commitment to safety is at the core of who we are and what we do. I am incredibly proud of our dedication to it and how seriously we take this responsibility. The safety of our staff and those we work with has been top of mind over the last year, and we have continued to get the job done amid the uncertainties of the global pandemic. Our adaptability and willingness to work differently, without compromising service delivery excellence, is evident in all areas of our work. This includes: adjudicating energy projects fairly and transparently; conducting oversight in the field safely and effectively; engaging with Indigenous peoples and stakeholders; and providing neutral data and analysis for improved energy-related decision making.

This year’s Departmental Plan builds on our progress to date and reflects how we will continue our path forward. Since first sharing our Strategic Plan in 2021–2022, we have done a lot of work putting it into action. The plan remains a shared lens for our work, and our Strategic Priorities (Trust and Confidence, Reconciliation, Competitiveness, and Data and Digital Innovation). These priorities are areas of cross-organizational focus and improvement that will help us better deliver on our mission^Footnote 6. With the input of staff, the Board of Directors^Footnote 7, the Commission, and the IAC, we have created implementation plans for each priority that outline what we are trying to achieve and how we will do so over the next few years. The CER recognizes the importance of working across these governance pillars to deliver on these plans.

In 2022–23, the CER will build on our efforts so far and further advance our plan and priorities by:

• working openly and collaboratively and being responsive to what we hear;
• changing how we work with Indigenous peoples, with a commitment to implementing the UN Declaration within the CER’s mandate and in a manner that aligns with work underway to implement the UN Declaration Act. This work will be centered on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership, including our partnerships with the two Indigenous Advisory Monitoring Committees (IAMCs) related to the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement (Line 3) and Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) projects;
• building a regulatory system that enhances Canada’s global competitiveness to meet the changing needs of Canadians and the energy sector; and
• expanding our use of data both in how we do our work and providing the public with energy information.

As an organization, we have a clear path forward in reaching for our shared vision^Footnote 8. We also recognize that we must remain flexible and allow our approaches to evolve as we become more inclusive in who we listen to and learn from. This includes recognizing and celebrating the diversity of our people, while fostering a greater sense of belonging among all our staff to build a more inclusive and stronger public service. We are committed to ongoing collaboration with all those we work closely with in best delivering on our mandate and the legislative intent of our Act today, tomorrow, over the next year, and beyond.

As CEO, it is a privilege to lead the CER’s talented team of professionals as we navigate our path forward and strive to do our best on behalf of Canadians every single day.

Gitane De Silva
Chief Executive Officer
Canada Energy Regulator

Date modified:

2023-11-27