7:30 – 8:30

Registration and Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00

Opening Keynote  and AER Overview

10:00 – 10:30

Networking Break and Official Delegation Photo

10:30 – 12:00

Breakout Sessions (please select one)

Session 1: Unconventional Resource Development  
Speakers: TBC; Scott Millar, Director, ABR

General overview of the unconventional resource development in Alberta, which touches on hydraulic fracturing, seismicity, water, and area-based regulation (ABR).
The overview of the ABR will focus on the pilot project in the MD of Greenview. The project produced a number of recommendations on how to shift water use in unconventional development toward alternate sources from high-quality non-saline (surface) water. The presentation will touch on some of the lessons learned throughout the pilot.

Session 2: Regulating Pipelines
Speakers: Steven Stalany, Manager, Industry Operations; and Russ Deacon, Acting Manager, Emergency Management

This session will cover three main topics:

• Pipeline Safety and integrity – Overview of the pipeline regulatory instruments and key requirements as well as their operational implementation through the regulatory development process (authorization, compliance and enforcement, abandonment and reclamation).   In addition, presentation will highlight several of the pipeline regulatory initiatives implemented since the AER’s inception.
• Industry Performance – Overview of some key performance metrics for pipelines, pipeline data transparency and highlight the external pipeline performance tool and its planned enhanced features.
• Emergency Response and reclamation – Overview of the AER’s Emergency Management Program including what happens when there is an incident and who all is involved.

Session 3: Addressing Climate Change
Speaker: Mark Taylor, EVP, Operations

The presentation introduces the Government of Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan and explains the AER’s involvement with the Plan’s methane emissions reduction target. The presentation moves into the current sources of methane emissions and how the AER has developed its draft requirements to address these sources, including the regulatory design principles, stakeholder participation and focus areas for emissions reduction.  The presentation concludes with an overview of upcoming timelines and the regulatory metrics for success.

12:00 – 1:30

Lunch Keynote

Regulatory Excellence – The AER Journey
Speaker: Carol Crowfoot, EVP, Strategy and Regulatory

This keynote will set the stage of the AER’s journey to regulatory excellence – the process to define “regulatory excellence,” who was involved, and what the regulatory excellence framework is. Learn about the AER’s first steps to excellence (2013-2017) and where we are going on this journey (2018-2023).

1:30 – 2:30

Breakout Sessions (please select one)

Session 1: Closure and Liability
Speaker: Robert Wadsworth, VP, Closure and Liability

Legacy Matters: the challenge of liability Management in Alberta
This session will provide an overview of the current state of liability management in Alberta; the challenges of addressing insolvencies and the AER's work to consider multiple options and best practices related to legacy infrastructure.

Session 2: Building a World-Class Workforce
Speaker: Susan Cassidy, VP, People, Culture, and Learning

One of the pillars of Regulatory Excellence is stellar competence. The AER is on a journey to achieve these through a well-defined competency framework and a learning program that is focused on fulfilling technical and leadership competency gaps. This session will cover all of these topics and provide information on initiatives and programs the AER has to enable the recruitment and retention of a competent workforce.

Session 3: Managing Information and Data for Compliance, Competitiveness, and Transparency
Speaker: Terry Carswell, Director, Information Management

This presentation will outline the AER’s approach to managing information and data in a regulatory system. Topics covered will include:

• Staffing levels and organizational functions;
• Confidential data management;
• Challenges facing the AER; and
• Suggested best practices

2:30 – 3:00

Networking Break

3:30 – 4:30

Closing Plenary

Engagement Panel
Moderator: Jennifer Steber, EVP, Stakeholder and Government Engagement
Speakers: Kim Blanchette, VP, Public Affairs and National/International Relations; Jennifer Wells, VP, Alberta Stakeholder Engagement; Martin Foy, VP, Industry Operations; Selena Cole, VP, Alberta Government Engagement

When the AER was created in 2013, it set out to establish new relationships with indigenous communities, stakeholders and the public. Representatives from Stakeholder and Government Engagement and Industry Relations will highlight the regulator's work in finding new ways to listen to feedback, build relationships that go beyond current applications, align our work with government policy and communicate in an open and transparent manner.

5:00 – 7:00

Welcome Reception at the Westin Calgary

7:30 – 8:30

Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00

Plenary

Transformation through Innovation (IDA)
Moderator: Patricia Johnston, EVP and General Counsel, Legal
Speakers: Tristan Goodman, Senior VP, Major Initiatives; Tara Mulrooney, Chief Technology Officer, Information Services; and Steve Thomas, Director, Major Initiatives

The regulatory component of the Integrated Decision Approach (IDA) is a new approach to how we regulate and make decisions on energy development across the lifecycle which is supported by a risk based approach, transparency and data information that is filed once. IDA is the foundation for cumulative effects management and drives out both efficiency and effectiveness given our focus on competitiveness.  The whole concept is built on the premise of one application, one review and one decision.

10:00 – 10:30

Networking Break

10:30 – 12:00

Integrated Decision Approach Presentations

10:30-11:15
Transformation through Technology: One Stop Demo
Speakers: Tara Mulrooney, Chief Technology Officer, Information Services; and Shelley Youens, Director, Major Initiatives

IDA is underpinned by a technology platform called OneStop which provides regulatory agility and is based on service oriented architecture. It enables the risk based approach to regulatory decision making across the lifecycle, provides transparency to all stakeholders.  The OneStop design is based an award winning world class architecture model that includes a GIS component and a business rules engine. The presentation will cover the reference architecture being used within “Onestop” and will include demonstrations of several regulatory solutions.

11:15 – 12:00
Transformation Through Collaborative Approaches
Speaker: TBC
Transforming how the regulator approaches its work requires innovative new ways to engage impacted stakeholders. In this session, you'll hear more about the AER's work in building collaborative approaches to engagement that involve indigenous communities and stakeholders in a meaningful way.

12:00 – 1:30

Lunch Keynote

Shaping Global Excellence – the ICORE Journey
Speaker: Jim Ellis, President and CEO

1:30 – 2:00

Networking Break

2:00 – 4:00

ICORE Workshop

The International Centre of Regulatory Excellence (ICORE) vision; Achieving regulatory excellence for a just, prosperous, and sustainable world.
Speaker: Martin Krezalek, Chief of Operations and Administration and Innovation Lab Director, ICORE

Next generation global energy systems will demand regulators that are excellent. Faced with unprecedented pressures to perform exceptionally-well; new, emerging and mature regulators must unlock their performance potential of regulatory ingenuity and push the boundaries of innovation. Regulatory complacency threatens competitiveness and regulators must come together and take bold and courageous actions necessary to push the boundaries of regulatory innovation as leaders. This workshop will explore how the global regulatory community can build trusted, high-performance, and credible organizations that subscribe to the highest standards of excellence, create public social value and protect.

Dinner on own

8:00 – 8:30

Transportation to the CRC from the AER head offices (for option 1)

8:30 – 11:00

Option 1 – CRC Tour and Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) Presentation

Core Research Centre Tour
Speaker: Ray Kuntz, Director, Information Management

The tour of CRC consists of discussion on the need to manage information, physical and electronic.  A brief history on how the CRC was created, who our customers are, how it spurs innovation and competitiveness in industry.  This will be followed by a walking tour of the facility and explanation of how the CRC operations work.  The tour includes details on special features at CRC and a walk in the repository (one of if not the largest in the world).  This is followed by a question and answer session. Tours usually take 1.5 to 2 hours max.

Alberta Geological Survey Presentation
Speaker: Andrew Beaton, VP, Alberta Geological Survey

The Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) is a Branch of the Alberta Energy Regulator, responsible for describing the geology and resources of the Province. AGS generates and delivers geoscience information and knowledge in several key areas including surficial and subsurface mapping and modeling; resource evaluations of hydrocarbons, groundwater and minerals; and geological hazards. The AGS is in a somewhat unique position compared to other Geological Surveys being housed within a Regulator. This association is optimised to ensure geoscience activities are aligned to inform and support the regulatory process in addition to meeting the geoscience needs of the Government, industry and the public.

8:30 – 4:00

Option 2 – One-on-one private meetings at the AER head offices (3rd floor)