Calgary, Alberta (Nov 12, 2014)…
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) today announced a project that will provide the organization with the necessary tools and framework to become a best-in-class energy regulator.
Following a competitive bidding process, the AER selected the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Program on Regulation to undertake the best-in-class project.
The best-in-class project has three main objectives:
- To identify the key attributes of a best-in-class regulator
- To understand how the AER can adopt these attributes
- To identify how to measure the concept of best in class in a credible manner
“The AER’s interest in an independent process and an evidence-based model is truly distinctive,” said University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Cary Coglianese, who is also the director of the Penn Program on Regulation and leader of the best-in-class project. “This project provides a unique opportunity to apply research from multiple disciplines to help define and identify ways to measure the best regulators as they pursue vital societal goals.”
The AER selected the Penn Program on Regulation, centred at the University of Pennsylvania’s Law School, based on criteria that included its academic credentials and the quality of research, the university’s track record in organizing high-level engagement sessions, its proposed strategy to deliver on the project, its ability to advance its findings at the national and international level, and the bid price.
“We recognize it is not enough to do our job well and simply declare ourselves as best-in-class,” said president and chief executive officer Jim Ellis. “To be collaborative and transparent, we must define what that means, ensure that our stakeholders agree with that definition, and take the necessary steps to improve our regulatory performance.”
When the University of Pennsylvania delivers a peer-reviewed framework by the summer of 2015, the AER expects to measure its performance against best-in-class attributes on a regular basis. Updates on the project will be posted to Penn Program on Regulation’s best-in-class website.
The best-in-class project is closely linked to the AER’s efforts to be a regulator that is protective, effective, efficient, and credible.
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. The AER has a vision to become a best-in-class regulator—one that is protective, effective, efficient, and credible.
FOR BROADCAST USE
The Alberta Energy Regulator today announced the launch of a project that will define the key attributes of a best-in-class regulator. After a competitive bidding process, the AER selected the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Program on Regulation to undertake the best-in-class project. When the University of Pennsylvania delivers a peer-reviewed framework by the summer of 2015, the AER expects to measure its performance against best-in-class attributes on a regular basis.
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For more information, please contact:
Bob Curran, AER Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 403-297-3392
E-mail: [email protected]
Media line: 1-855-474-6356
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