The Jurisdiction of Alberta's Energy and Utilities Board to Consider Broad Socio-Ecological Concerns Associated with Energy Projects

Abstract

The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board is increasingly asked to consider the broad social, economic and environmental implications of energy exploration in Alberta. Tins article argues that s. 3 of the Energy Resources Conservation Act requires the AEUB to seriously consider these broad socio- ecological implications and challenges the Board's reluctance to undertake these considerations. article also highlights the fact that this reluctance the Board's narrow view of its s. 3 authority have yet to be assessed by the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Petropolitics : Petroleum Development, Markets and Regulations, Alberta as an Illustrative History

“…Thus far, the ERCB has noted some of these problems but has not explicitly taken them into account when issuing approvals for expansions or new facilities; this has lead some to suggest that it is failing to uphold its responsibilities to assess the extent to which projects are in the public interest (Fluker, 2005;Nikiforuk, 2008). The government, as much as market forces, would then be playing an active role in selecting which project would proceed and when.…”

“…), the economic and financial viability of the project, the social and regional impact, environmental effects, the impact on government revenue, and others. (See Atkins and MacFadyen, 2008. Fluker, 2005, McCullum, 2006, and Nikiforuk, 2008 that the ERCB has been negligent in failing to take a broad enough view of the Alberta public interest.…”