The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has completed its transition to become the single regulator of energy development in Alberta.
The AER was launched on June 17, 2013, with proclamation of portions of the Responsible Energy Development Act. The AER now has expanded authority, which includes aspects of the following acts as they relate to energy development: the Public Lands Act, Part 8 of the Mines and Minerals Act, the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, and the Water Act.
“The AER is now a full life-cycle regulator: from application and exploration, to construction and development, to abandonment, reclamation, and remediation,” said AER president and CEO Jim Ellis. “We take our responsibility for protecting our air, land, water, and biodiversity very seriously as we regulate the development of our vast energy resources delivering economic benefits to all Albertans.”
For the past year, Blunt Strategic has worked as an integral part of the AER Office of Public Affairs (OPA) to help the AER bring about a successful transition from their previous existence as the Energy Resources and Conservation Board (ERCB).
Blunt worked with the AER on copywriting projects that entailed both editing and writing, as well as working with several groups of internal staff to understand, document and effectively respond to communications requirements. In its largest web copy project to date, Blunt edited and wrote the over 150 pages that comprise the regulator’s new website: aer.ca.
Blunt was also responsible for creating all of the professional biographies for the AER’s hearing commissioners and board of directors, and most notably, worked with 22 various groups of AER staff to map and document current processes as well as their planned future state as they transitioned from the ERCB and Alberta Environment to become the AER. Upon completion of the process documents, Blunt principal Agnes Zalewski prepared over a dozen communications plans for the AER that addressed communications needs per area. It was a very large undertaking and a great experience for Blunt to be part of such a detailed and dynamic organizational transition.
As a new organization, the Alberta Energy Regulator 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.