Category: Energy Page 3 of 57

In November 2025, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) published the 2024 Liability Management Performance Report (2024 Report). This is the third AER Liability Management Performance Report to the public on progress to reduce Alberta’s massive unfunded closure liability in the conventional (non-oil sands mine) oil and gas sector. We discussed the 2022 report here and the 2023 report here. In a positive change from earlier years, the AER has kept the 2022 and 2023 reports up on their website. While this allows the public to compare information in the current report with past years, it is noteworthy that the AER itself does not use the previous years to evaluate performance and the 2024 Report provides almost no discussion or analysis of the data set out in the report. This is one of the reasons why the 2024 Report receives an F grade.

A Final Lump of Coal for 2025

By Nigel Bankes

On December 23, 2025

In Energy, Natural Resources

By: Nigel Bankes and Drew Yewchuk

Matters Commented On: Notice of Termination of the federal environmental assessment for the Grassy Mountain Coal Project, December 19, 2025 and Bill 14, Justice Statutes Amendment Act, and Corb Lund’s no coal citizen initiative petition.

PDF Version: A Final Lump of Coal for 2025

This is our final coal update post of the year. We don’t have a court decision to post about, but there have been two noteworthy developments on coal. First, the Notice of Termination of the federal environmental assessment for the Grassy Mountain Coal Project, and second, Corb Lund’s no coal citizen initiative petition.

The Mess We’re In: Insights from the 1st International Colloquium on Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector

By Kaitlin Schaaf

On November 21, 2025

In Energy, Environmental, Oil & Gas

By: Kaitlin Schaaf, Kathy Cao, Jessica Farrell, Andrew Simmons, Emilia Yassiri, and Martin Olszynski

Matter Commented On: 1^st International Colloquium on Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector

PDF Version: The Mess We’re In: Insights from the 1st International Colloquium on Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector

The 1^st International Colloquium on Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector was a recent three-day event organized by Professor Martin Olszynski, the current Chair in Energy, Resources and Sustainability, and hosted by the University of Calgary Faculty of Law with the support of the Public Interest Law Clinic (PILC) and the Canadian Institute for Resources Law (CIRL). From October 3 – October 5, 2025, the event brought together scholars and practitioners from Canada, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom to address the challenges associated with environmental liabilities in the energy sector.

Major Projects and the Building Canada Act: New list of PONIs or PHONIs?

By David V Wright

On November 14, 2025

In Administrative Law, Energy, Environmental, Natural Resources, Statutory Interpretation

By: David V. Wright

Matter Commented On: Building Canada Act, SC 2025, c 2, s 4

PDF Version: Major Projects and the Building Canada Act: New list of PONIs or PHONIs?

This week, Prime Minister Carney announced a second tranche of major projects for fast-tracking consideration under the new Building Canada Act, SC 2025, c 2, s 4 (BCA). This short post provides an update on the context and then presents a draft glossary that tries to make sense of the unusual terminology and various types of projects and concepts falling within the increasingly broad mandate of the new Major Projects Office (MPO).

A Review of Closure Nomination for Inactive Oil and Gas Sites and AER Updates to Directive 088

By Drew Yewchuk

On October 24, 2025

In Energy, Environmental, Natural Resources, Oil & Gas

By: Drew Yewchuk & Shaun Fluker

Regulatory Bulletin Commented On: Alberta Energy Regulator, Bulletin 2025-32, Invitation for Feedback on Proposed Revisions to Closure Nomination Requirements in Directive 088

PDF Version: A Review of Closure Nomination for Inactive Oil and Gas Sites and AER Updates to Directive 088

The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is taking comments on some proposed changes to the process for nominating oil and gas sites (facilities and wells) for closure work. The comment period is open until November 12, 2025. The AER’s closure nomination system has been in place since April 2023, and one of us commented on its commencement in Updates to the Oil and Gas Liability Management Framework: The New Closure Nomination and The Renamed Closure Quotas. The proposed changes adjust the timelines for the closure nomination. In particular, they shorten the timeline for nominated sites that had already been decommissioned to complete a phase 1 environmental site assessment from three years to one year, and they extend all closure nomination timelines to the end of the quarter-year. This post reviews the public information on the closure nomination process so far, discusses the AER’s proposed changes, and assesses the effectiveness of the closure nomination process so far.

Category: Energy Page 3 of 57

Grading the 2024 AER Liability Management Performance Report

A Final Lump of Coal for 2025

The Mess We’re In: Insights from the 1st International Colloquium on Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector

Major Projects and the Building Canada Act: New list of PONIs or PHONIs?

A Review of Closure Nomination for Inactive Oil and Gas Sites and AER Updates to Directive 088