Sundre Petroleum Operator’s Group (SPOG) officials will be happy to provide input into a recently announced review of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), said executive director Tracey McCrimmon.
“They will be having stakeholder workshops and it’s fair to say that SPOG would like to be involved in the process,” said McCrimmon.
SPOG is a collection of oil and gas companies with operations in the region. The AER oversees the approval of resource development in the province.
The provincial government says it will be seeking advice and input from the public, industry and municipal government representatives and other stakeholders on the future of the regulator.
Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon said the process will identify changes and enhancements to the AER’s mandate, governance and system operating to “ensure that Alberta remains a predictable place to invest and a world leader in responsible resource development.”
The UCP said during the last election campaign that it would be reviewing the AER. The review will take place over the next month.
“We must preserve Alberta’s reputation as an environmentally responsible resource producer, but we must also restore confidence with our investors and landowners as a leader in predictable and efficient regulation,” said Nixon in announcing the review.
Minister of Energy Sonya Savage added, “We’ve seen the performance of the AER decline over the past few years, despite hiring more staff. It now takes four times longer than other jurisdictions like Texas to get a project approved in Alberta. We are engaging in a thoughtful and thorough evaluation of the regulator in order to maintain high standards that have made Alberta a global oil and gas leader.”
In announcing the review of the AER, the province also announced that it was replacing the existing board with a new interim board made up of individuals with oil and gas expertise.
The new chair is Beverly Yee, the current deputy minister of environment and parks.
Dates for the stakeholder workshops have not been announced.
The province has released an online survey asking for preliminary input into the review. The survey asks “In your experience, has the AER met its mandate and how so?” and “In your experience, has the regulator evolved as intended?”
Public feedback can be provided at alberta.ca/AER until Oct. 14.
