Canada shifts pipeline and offshore project reviews solely to energy regulator

The government has issued regulations that exempt interprovincial pipelines, cross-border transmission lines and offshore renewable energy projects from review by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, assigning those duties exclusively to the Canada Energy Regulator. The Canada Gazette detailed that the CER’s existing impact-assessment capabilities cover air, water, soil, climate change, wildlife and species at risk.

In addition, some oilsands extraction and fossil-fuel-fired power projects are being removed from IAAC oversight, though they will continue to undergo robust provincial and federal assessments. Experts from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute argue the reform will lower upfront legal and due-diligence costs and attract more investment. Environmental Defence’s Julia Levin criticized the move as another blow to Canada’s climate and environmental protections. The changes follow Prime Minister Mark Carney’s election-promise to streamline approvals and precede an upcoming investors summit in Toronto.