The Alberta Energy Regulator operates within the province of Alberta, Canada, and is the single provincial regulator for oil, natural gas, oil sands, and coal development within Alberta.

The AER ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of hydrocarbon resources over their entire life cycle. This includes allocating and conserving water resources, managing public lands, and protecting the environment while providing economic benefits for all Albertans.

Energy regulation in Alberta spans more than 75 years and has evolved over time. This evolution continued in 2013 when the AER became a new organization and began taking on regulatory functions related to energy development that were previously held by Alberta Environment and Parks (called Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development at the time).

Mr. Kirk Bailey, P. Eng., executive vice president of the Operations Division, will speak to the AER’s transformation, highlighting critical initiatives (Regulatory Excellence, Play-Based Regulation, and the New Activity Life-Cycle Approach) that the regulator has undertaken in its quest to become a world-class regulator.