Canada Energy Regulator's 2024–25 Departmental Plan at a glance
A Departmental Plan describes a department’s priorities, plans and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.
Key priorities
Through the strategic planning process, the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) Board of Directors has endorsed the strategic priorities for the 2024–25 to 2026–27 timeframe. In 2024–25, the CER will pursue activities guided by these strategic priorities across all its core responsibilities and internal service program areas, as highlighted in this plan. These priorities are:
- Trust and Confidence: We foster the trust and confidence of Canadians by effectively delivering on our mission with safety at the forefront. We engage and empower our diverse workforce. We strengthen relationships that uphold the rights and interests of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and we communicate transparently and engage meaningfully with all our stakeholders.
- Reconciliation and Implementing the UN Declaration: We are implementing the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) and delivering on the commitments made in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan (UN Declaration Act Action Plan). We do so based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership, by working together with First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments, communities, and organizations. We continue to build the cultural intelligence of the CER.
- Competitiveness and Regulatory Excellence: We enhance Canada’s global competitiveness through leadership in regulatory innovation and best practices, focusing on cost-effectiveness, transparency, predictability, timeliness and efficiency of regulatory processes.
- Preparing for the Energy Future: We inform the energy transition by offering expertise and insight as the energy system transitions to a net-zero economy across Canada. We focus on energy innovation, security, competitiveness, and safe and reliable energy transmission infrastructure that is resilient to the effects of climate change.
Refocusing Government Spending
In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.
As part of meeting this commitment, the CER is planning the following spending reductions.
- 2024–25: $2,859,000
- 2025–26: $3,763,000
- 2026–27 and after: $5,000,000
The CER will achieve these reductionsFootnote 1 by doing the following:
- Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Reductions: The savings in O&M will primarily come from travel and professional services. Within the professional services category, the reductions will come from more limited use of contractors across multiple programs, including Core Responsibility programs in Energy Adjudication, Safety and Environment Oversight, Energy Information, and Engagement, and Internal Service programs including Information Technology, Information Management, People and Workforce and Finance and Acquisition Management.
The reductions from travel will focus on discretionary domestic and international travel for training, conferences and meetings. There will also be reduced funding available for travel for engagement activities. Opportunities for virtual meetings, training and hearings will be used where possible. - Salary Reductions: A modest salary reduction will be realized through attrition.
- Grants and Contributions (G&Cs) Reductions: Spending reductions in G&Cs will come from non-hearing funding streams (policy dialogues, research and Indigenous Capacity Support Program). All hearing-related participant funding will remain a priority. For non-hearing G&C spending, the CER will consider reducing amounts across various initiatives to minimize negative impacts and maintain responsiveness to funding demands.
The figures in this Departmental Plan reflect these reductions.
Highlights
A Departmental Results Framework consists of an organization’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.
Energy Adjudication
Departmental results:
- Energy adjudication processes are fair.
- Energy adjudication processes are timely.
- Energy adjudication processes are transparent.
- Energy adjudication processes are accessible.
Planned spending: $28,730,875
Planned human resources: 122.5
The CER will explore ways to improve the predictability, transparency, and efficiency of application assessments. We will leverage opportunities to align with federal departments and agencies on topics such as clean growth, regulatory efficiency, climate resiliency and cumulative effects to ensure clear and consistent guidance to applicants. We will engage with Indigenous Peoples, regulated industry, landowners, and other stakeholders as we update the Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment and Lands Sections of the Filing Manual. To enhance transparency in the adjudicative process, the CER Portal will combine and expand existing tools and provide a user-friendly interface for timely access to regulatory documents and support efficiency for all participants. We will also continue to conduct early engagement and Crown consultation activities to support meaningful involvement in the CER’s regulatory processes, to build enduring relationships based on a recognition of rights and resolve issues early and outside of the hearing process, where possible.
More information about Energy Adjudication can be found in the full Departmental Plan.
Safety and Environment Oversight
Departmental results:
- Harm to people or the environment, throughout the lifecycle of energy-related activities, is prevented.
Planned spending: $22,962,958
Planned human resources: 128.8
Preventing harm is the foundation of how the CER keeps people safe and protects the environment, and we will continue to enforce strict safety and environmental standards through this core responsibility. The CER will continue to support and enable Indigenous monitors to bring Indigenous perspectives into our work and enhance our oversight tools. Improving the application of enforcement tools and related processes will support us in promoting compliance and improving safety and environmental outcomes. We will evolve and apply our regulatory oversight tools to ensure industry continues to assess and effectively manage evolving hazards related to extreme weather events. Collaborating with other regulators to facilitate clear roles and processes will enable us to ensure readiness to regulate transitional and new energy projects. Continuing to promote learning via the Safety Culture Learning Portal and promoting safety culture improvements via industry workshops will remain a focus. We will also be focused on enhancing timeliness and clarity of post-approval condition processes.
More information about Safety and Environment Oversight can be found in the full Departmental Plan.
Engagement
Departmental results:
- Input provided by Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders influences the Canada Energy Regulator’s decisions and work.
- Indigenous Peoples and stakeholders provide feedback that engagement with the Canada Energy Regulator is meaningful.
Planned spending: $9,187,376
Planned human resources: 47.3
The CER will implement Action Plan Measure 34Footnote 2, as part of the broader whole-of-government approach to implement the UN Declaration Act Action Plan. Based on advice from our Indigenous Advisory Committee, we will implement the National Indigenous Engagement Blueprint, while continuing to improve the cultural competency and cultural intelligence of the CER. We will seek to better understand region-specific safety, environment, and oversight concerns and engage with regulated industry, landowners, municipalities, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders on areas of mutual interest.
More information about Engagement can be found in the full Departmental Plan.
Energy Information
Departmental results:
- Canadians access and use energy information for knowledge, research, or decision-making.
- Canadians have opportunities to collaborate and provide feedback on Canada Energy Regulator information products.
Planned spending: $6,780,584
Planned human resources: 42.5
The CER will update information, enhance user experience and accessibility within our Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles, and upgrade all static maps in our Pipeline Profiles to an interactive format. We will continue to invest in our energy system modeling capacity and development of tools, prioritizing the energy transition, and preparing for the next publication of Canada’s Energy Future report, which will again include net-zero projections. We will also continue to mature the Pipeline Information program and the Energy System Information program to advance the CER’s Strategic Priorities, while continuing to support the Canadian Centre for Energy Information (CCEI) through collaboration on various energy data and information initiatives.
More information about Energy Information can be found in the full Departmental Plan.
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