Canada Energy Regulator – 2023–24 Departmental Plan – Plans at a glance

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The CER has a mandate to protect people and the environment, adjudicate energy matters, produce energy information, and meaningfully engage with Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders. Our four interconnected and interdependent Strategic PrioritiesNote 5 are the lens through which we deliver results within our Core Responsibilities and Internal Services programs. Through annual strategic planning, the CER’s Board of Directors validated the organization’s priorities for 2023–24.

The changing energy landscape – from increased involvement from Indigenous Peoples in regulatory oversight to a focus on increased energy security – has reinforced the importance and relevance of these priorities, and the spirit and intent of our prioritized plans remain unchanged from the prior fiscal year. The plans extend beyond the outcomes of any one program and require cross-organizational focus and leadership to continue driving a systematic shift in the way the CER works.

The CER is in the final year of its three-year implementation of four interdependent Strategic PrioritiesNote *. The interconnectedness of these priorities is an essential feature of our plans, as described below:

Trust and Confidence

The Trust and Confidence Strategic Priority aims to ensure the CER continues to enjoy the confidence of both Canadians and CER staff. The CER is committed to fostering the trust and confidence of Canadians in the CER through robust communications, transparency, collaboration, and inclusive engagement; building respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples; and fostering an engaged and empowered workforce.

In 2023–24, the CER will:

  • continue to implement the recommendations of the Strategic Communications Assessment, with a focus on demonstrating best practices for external and internal engagement;
  • deliver a CER National Engagement Framework and Strategy, with a focus on different regional and topic-specific areas of interest;
  • begin implementation of the multi-year Strategic Workforce Plan;
  • adapt the Hybrid Workplace Approach; and
  • assess the success of the implemented recommendations of the Diversity and Belonging Roadmap, and continue implementation of remaining recommendations, such as:
    • providing evidence-based training for staff and leaders to prevent and respond to misconduct;
    • publishing aggregated data on misconduct and actions taken; and
    • creating a CER-specific leadership development program to support the career advancement of all staff members, including members of equity-deserving groups, while applying a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) lens.

Reconciliation

The CER is committed to the ongoing process of ReconciliationFootnote 6 with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and is taking meaningful actions in that direction. We are changing how we work with Indigenous Peoples with a commitment to implementing the UN Declaration and the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We are moving forward by:

  • enhancing the involvement of Indigenous Peoples in how we discharge our mandate and driving meaningful change in the CER’s requirements and expectations of regulated industry;
  • building renewed relationships based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership; and
  • improving the cultural competency of the CER and its staff.

In 2023–24, the CER will:

  • implement the UN Declaration within the CER’s mandate, including through:
    • identification of priority actions and initiatives to support implementation;
    • engagement and the building of broader awareness with Indigenous Peoples, communities, industry, and stakeholders on the CER’s actions and initiatives to support implementation;
    • working with federal colleagues to ensure the CER’s work in relation to implementation remains aligned with guidance and direction from the broader federal government, being developed in accordance with the UN Declaration; and
    • implementing key elements of the CER Indigenous Cultural Competency Framework, including an Indigenous Recruitment, Retention and Advancement Strategy, an Indigenous Procurement Strategy, an Elders-In-Residence program, and cultural competence training and awareness activities;
  • develop and implement a National Indigenous Engagement Framework and Plan; and
  • develop Pipeline and Energy Information products with input from Indigenous Peoples.

The CER will also continue to support the Indigenous Advisory Monitoring Committees (IAMCs)Footnote 7. The IAMCs operate independently to increase Indigenous involvement in the federal monitoring and oversight of the Trans Mountain Pipeline ExpansionFootnote 8 (TMX) and the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement ProgramFootnote 9 (Line 3) by providing the opportunity for Indigenous Peoples to participate meaningfully in oversight activities along the pipeline corridor, while companies do work to build and operate the projects. This work is also helping to inform Indigenous monitoring of other CER-regulated projects, including work underway in 2023–24 to engage communities impacted by the NOVA Gas Transmission Line (NGTL) to develop a new collaborative oversight mechanism.

Competitiveness

The CER is committed to the Government of Canada’s goal of enhancing Canada’s global competitiveness. Making decisions in a timely and predictable manner, facilitating innovation, and enabling sound projects into operation and through their lifecycle are all areas where regulatory oversight can positively impact global competitiveness.

The Competitiveness Strategic Priority focuses on improving transparency, predictability, and efficiency of lifecycle regulation; enhancing and innovating in regulatory approaches; and, researching new ways for a regulator to contribute to Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

In 2023–24, the CER will:

  • implement a permanent engagement structure with regulated companies to help identify and advance issues related to competitiveness and other areas of the CER mandate;
  • continue CER readiness work related to hydrogen transportation in pipelines, including collaborating with governments and other regulators along with industry, Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders, to support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon energy system;
  • provide governments, the public, and industry with access to energy information and data related to current topics and trends in the energy sector, including energy modeling and analysis on how Canada can meet a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050;
  • refine regulatory process transparency and predictability by providing clarity through updated filing requirements, enhancing guidance around new CER Act factors, and streamlining low-risk application processes; and
  • continue the Onshore Pipeline RegulationsFootnote 10 update, to deliver a regulation that supports the highest level of safety, security and environmental protection, advances reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, addresses transparency and inclusive participation, provides for predictable and timely oversight and encourages innovation.

Data and Digital Innovation

The CER’s Data and Digital Innovation Strategic Priority supports the creation of a data and digital innovation culture. Our systems enable the effective delivery of the CER’s mandate and allow for improved public access, use and analysis of accurate data and energy information for meaningful participation and informed decision-making. Data cascades over all the CER does and enhances opportunities for digital engagement with Canadians.

Expanding our use of data in how we do our work and in providing Canadians with energy information leads to a better understanding of who we are and what we do.

In 2023–24, the CER will:

  • deliver skills training and tools to increase data competencies in the CER by implementing a Data Job Family to attract and retain talent and establish technical competency requirements;
  • establish and build the data foundation to build and enable analytics, decision-making and public participation, including launching an Energy FuturesFootnote 11 Net-Zero Data Visualization;
  • continue to advance CER OneData – extracting and cleaning data from multiple regulatory systems to create a "one-stop shop for data" to facilitate data analysis and systems modernization; and
  • establish and build integrated data and information systems for the CER and external parties, including advancing the CER Portal, the CER’s digital regulatory filing system.

For more information on the CER’s plans, see the “Core responsibilities: planned results and resources” section of this plan.

Corporate risks and related response strategies affecting the delivery of the CER’s outcomes can be found on its websiteFootnote 12.

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