The Parliament of Canada established the National Energy Board (NEB) in 1959 to regulate interprovincial and international aspects of the oil, gas and electric utility industries. The NEB, a fully-independent federal agency, regulates aspects of Canadian pipelines that cross interprovincial or international boundaries.
The Board reports to Parliament through the Minister of Natural Resources. The NEB is established under the National Energy Board Act, which sets out the mandate for the National Energy Board. The Act establishes the NEB’s authority in energy projects as well as determining the regulatory boundaries for making decisions.
The NEB’s mandate is to promote safety, security, environmental protection, and enhance economic efficiency for the regulation of pipelines, energy development and trade in the Canadian public interest. The National Energy Board is responsible for ensuring that pipelines are constructed and operated in a safe, secure, environmentally-protective manner. The National Energy Board also has jurisdiction over how tolls, or fees, are charged on pipelines.
A range of applications require an NEB decision. Some of these applications may require a public hearing.
These include:
- Applications for the construction and operation of pipelines that are either international or interprovincial, and international power lines
- Applications to set the tolls and tariffs of pipeline companies under the Board’s jurisdiction
- Applications to abandon a pipeline
- Export applications for natural gas, oil or electricity or import applications for natural gas
- Landowner oppositions to the detailed route of an approved pipeline