12-Month Lobbying Summary - In-house Organization

Subject Matters

• Aboriginal Affairs
• Agriculture
• Budget
• Climate
• Consumer Issues
• Economic Development
• Education
• Employment and Training
• Energy
• Environment
• Fisheries
• Forestry
• Government Procurement
• Health
• Industry
• Infrastructure
• Internal Trade
• International Trade
• Labour
• National Security/Security
• Regional Development
• Science and Technology
• Taxation and Finance
• Telecommunications
• Transportation

Subject Matter Details

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• Bill C-26 (44-1), with respect to potential cybersecurity requirements on electricity operators.
• Canada Labour Code, in respect to occupational heath and safety, worker safety and workplace hazardous materials applicable to electricity generation, transmission and distribution facilities, the transportation of dangerous goods by electricity sector companies, and the health effects of electric and magnetic fields (EMF).
• Emergency Management Act, in respect to pandemic planning and a national plan for the use of anti-virals, security standards for facilities used for the international trade of electricity, reliability standards and activities pertaining to threat and risk assessments, security clearances, exercises and drills.
• Energy Efficiency Act, in respect to managing air emissions by reducing electricity demand. The Energy Efficiency Act in respect to regulations concerning minimum energy-performance levels for energy-using products, as well as the labeling of energy-using products
• Excessive interest and financing expenses limitation (EIFEL), with respect to a potential exemption for regulated utilities from proposed changes to interest deductibility limits.
• Fisheries Act, in respect to the management of habitat, fisheries, species at risk in relation to the generation of electricity, and policies to streamline and clarify the regulatory process, in relation to electricity industry plans to address the need for new infrastructure development to meet growing demand for electricity and replacing aging electricity assets.
• Migratory Birds Convention Act, in respect to the management of habitat, species at risk and migratory birds in relation to the generation and transmission of electricity; and stewardship policies and programs with an on-going efforts to streamline and clarify regulatory process, in relation to electricity industry plans to address the need for new infrastructure development to meet growing demand for electricity and replacing aging electricity assets, as well as enabling the maintenance and operations of existing infrastructure.
• Radiation Emitting Devices Act, in respect to the potential health effects of electric and magnetic fields (EMF).
• Species at Risk Act, in respect to the management of habitat, and species at risk in relation to the generation and transmission of electricity; and stewardship policies and programs with on-going efforts to streamline and clarify regulatory process, in relation to electricity industry plans to address the need for new infrastructure development to meet growing demand for electricity and replacing aging electricity assets.
• Statutory Review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999), including but not limited to GHG regulations under CEPA 1999 such as the proposed Carbon Dioxide from Natural Gas-Fired Electricity Regulations, and the proposed amendment to the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Coal-Fired Electricity Production Regulations.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program

• Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, in respect to the role the electricity sector can play in reducing emissions in Canada.
• Telecommunications Act, in respect to the Telecommunications policy review and electricity support structures and spectrum management as they may be applicable to the advent of a smart grid.
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, in respect to infrastructure development.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program, Regulation

• Excise Tax Act - National Energy Board Cost Recovery policies that establish the rules and levels of financing that users in the electricity sector must pay as part of the CER cost recovery policies, capital cost allowance rates, and policies pertaining to overcoming barriers to timely investment in infrastructure related to siting, rates of return, community acceptance and public understanding of need.
• GHG reduction measures, in respect to the Clean Fuel Standard, Carbon Pricing, Out-Based Pricing System and other GHG reduction policies and regulations.
• Impact Assessment Act, formerly known as Bill C-69, "An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation Protection Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts", in respect to environmental assessment policies and procedures to streamline and enhance efficiency of the environmental assessment process and regulations to permit the construction of new generation and transmission infrastructure in a more timely and cost effective manner.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Regulation

• Electricity and Gas Inspection Act, in respect to measurement and the regulations flowing from the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act related to seal periods and to the testing of electricity meters that are already deployed in customer premises.

Policies or Program

• Canada's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Action Plan, in respect to promoting investments in SMR technology, and planning for its integration in Canada’s electricity systems.
• Canada's Workplace Skills Strategy, in respect to facilitating school-to-work transitions for skilled trades, and developing sector and career awareness strategies for the electricity industry.
• Canada’s critical infrastructure- in respect to planning and activities pertaining to threat and risk assessment, safeguards, security standards and the development of national plans to address the ongoing physical and cyber security needs of our critical infrastructure.
• Canadian Standards Strategy, in respect to international cooperation and compatability of reliability standards, and the development of international and national standards on Health & Safety, Power Engineering and Power Quality
• Emission reduction initiatives, in respect to emerging and nascent technologies, such as intelligent grids, utility-scale storage, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), hydroelectricity, SMRs, hydrogen and other technologies, and in respect to research, development and deployment of those technologies, their financing and adoption in electricity systems.
• Hydrogen Strategy, in respect to facilitating the electricity sector’s participation in implementing the strategy.
• Investment tax credit proposals, with respect to incentives for certain types of renewable and clean energy technologies, including energy storage, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and small modular reactors (SMRs).
• National Security Policy, in respect to pandemic planning and a national plan for the use of anti-virals, and activities pertaining to threat and risk assessments, security clearances, exercises and drills.
• National Security Policy, in respect to security standards for facilities used for the international trade of electricity, and reliability standards.
• National benefits-sharing framework, with respect to major electricity resource projects.
• Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) - We are seeking to determine a process by which critical infrastructure owners or operators can apply to have Class F restricted airspace designated over their sites. The purpose is to discourage RPAS operations (or other unwanted aircraft) over critical infrastructure, especially in the energy sector.
• Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) - We are seeking to support Beyond Visual Line of Site (BVLOS) operations for RPAS in Canada for our members. RPAS are a cost-effective and safe way of examining linear features like transmission lines.
• Strategic Innovation Fund, in respect to the application process, the scope of the fund, and Net Zero Accelerator.
• ecoEnergy for Renewable Power Program, in respect to environmentally preferable power and the measurement of environmental performance of electricity generation equipment, technologies, facilities and alternatives, and incentives to build and operate distributed generation and distributed resources for the generation of electricity.

Regulation

• Clean Electricity Regulations, with respect to the overall development of the regulations and compliance mechanisms.
• The Pest Management Regulatory Agency's directive on the phase-out of Pentachlorophenol, with respect to timelines for a responsible depletion of stock to reduce grid reliability and environmental risk.