Hi Everyone,
I wanted to provide an update on some of the recent activities of Energy NL. Our work on your behalf has continued over the summer and fall is already shaping up to be extremely busy.
I was pleased to attend the August 17th announcement of a new MOU to develop Churchill Falls hydroelectric resources. It was a monumental day in the history of our province as the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador, Québec, and Canada agreed to an approach to develop the massive energy potential of Churchill Falls and also to develop wind energy and export energy to the United States. On that day, and since the announcement, Energy NL has been very clear that we expect Energy NL members to play a leading role in the lifecycle of the project. We have the skills and expertise to ensure the project is a success, and we must be included from the outset. We have made this clear in discussion with government officials, including with Premier Wakeham and Minister Parrott, who understand our view and share our perspective, and also with the leadership of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (NL Hydro). We will continue to advocate for member participation and also ensure you are ready for the opportunities that are to come from the project. We have established positive relationships with both NL Hydro and Hydro-Québec, and we plan to leverage these relationships into supplier development sessions and other information sharing that ensures Energy NL members are prepared to work on the projects and, just as importantly, that both utilities understand your capabilities. I look forward to providing more information on sessions in the coming months.
Of course, the future of the Bay du Nord and Energy NL member participation in that project remains a priority. Similar to my comments above on Churchill Falls, Energy NL has been clear in our advocacy that Energy NL members must optimize participation in this project. Our discussions on this matter are continuous with both the provincial government and Equinor, along with tier one contractors BW Offshore and Subsea Integration Alliance. Energy NL attended the Offshore Northern Seas 2026 conference in Stavanger, Norway at the end of August and Bay du Nord was a major topic of conversation on the conference floor and during side discussions. As you likely know from media reports, both Premier Wakeham and Minister Parrott attended ONS and we had numerous opportunities to discuss the Bay du Nord project (as well as other energy projects) and impressed upon them the importance of Energy NL member engagement during all phases of the project and the impact this participation has on our sector in both the immediate and long-term. Again, Premier Wakeham and Minister Parrott shared our belief in this approach and we will have continuing dialogue with them on this matter.
While in Norway, we also had the opportunity to attend site visits in Haugesund, including Aksdal Business Park and offshore related facilities in Killingøy. These visits were arranged by Equinor and provided us an opportunity to see the local impact of the offshore in Norway and also to continue our discussions with the developer about ensuring Energy NL member participation and industrial benefits from the project occur in our province. We are currently working with Equinor to host a series of supplier development sessions so please watch your inbox for details.
Keeping with Bay du Nord, on August 12, Energy NL participated in a session with the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Regulator (C-NLOER) regarding the Development Plan Application of Equinor for the project. The session began with an overview presentation from Equinor which provided information on the project, including their approach to local benefits. My prepared remarks for the session, which focused largely on the Benefits Plan, can be found here.
I highlighted the need to have a benefits plan much earlier in the development process and a lot of time was spent time discussing enforcement of benefits commitments and how that is undertaken. I had some specific concerns with respect to wording in the Benefits Plan and what appeared to be an inconsistent use of the Atlantic Accord related terms “first consideration” and “full and fair opportunity” which both Equinor and the C-NLOER committed to reviewing and ensuring it reflected the intention of the Accord. I also emphasized our belief that bidders’ lists must be made available as they allow Energy NL members to be informed of who is possibly conducting work and affords them the ability to seek partnerships and joint ventures. When asked about project forecasting, Equinor did commit to project forecasting and working with Energy NL on this matter. Overall, I would characterize the session as frank and informative, with advocacy remaining on several issues important to our membership.
Last week I was privileged to be invited to Toronto by the Prime Minister to attend an opening reception for the Canada Investment Summit. It was an exceptional opportunity to discuss Canada’s energy future with both Canadian and global industry leaders. The investment climate in Canada has radically changed in the last 18 months and the summit was proof of that with attendees from around the world keenly interested in what Canada has to offer. Bay du Nord, Churchill Falls, and our wind potential were brought up in all my discussions and there is genuine interest in the progress of these projects, what they mean for Canada, and how they embody the investment opportunities we have.
On September 9th, I attended a meeting with industry partners hosted by Premier Wakeham to discuss the impacts of tariffs on Newfoundland and Labrador. It was an engaging discussion and I was pleased that Premier Wakeham and Ministers Pardy and Paddock were receptive to the ideas I and other industry association leaders proposed. Our discussion on how to lessen the impact of tariffs and move our sectors forward will continue and I expect positive results for our province.
Also that week, the federal and provincial governments announced a Co-operation Agreement on Environmental and Impact Assessments, commonly referred to as “one project, one review,” which Energy NL supported as a method to streamline environmental assessment of energy projects. This also relates to our submission in July on the Getting Major Projects Built Discussion Paper where we emphasized the need for efficient regulatory approval processes. As well, Energy NL submitted comments recently to the federal pre-budget consultation process. We provided five recommendations focused on regulatory certainty (including clarity on section 82 of UNCLOS), investment tax credit support for the offshore oil and gas sector, support for development of renewable energy (including the achievement of offtake agreements), and ensuring local supply and service companies optimize their participation in all energy projects. We are intending to meet with decision makers in Ottawa this fall to further emphasize these points.
Over the course of the last number of months we also provided supportive comments during provincial environmental reviews of the North Atlantic Wind to Hydrogen project, the EIS of the EVREC Green Energy Hub, and EA of the Triple Point Resources Fischells Salt Dome project.
As you know, the Energy NL Industry Achievement Awards are scheduled for the evening of November 4, 2026. An exceptional group of individuals and companies will be recognized that night and registration is now open.
Energy NL was also pleased to recently welcome Terri Lynn Hickey to our staff as Executive Assistant. Terri Lynn has hit the ground running and looks forward to meeting our members throughout our fall events. I would also like to congratulate our Member Relations Lead Jennifer who was recently married. Jennifer’s new email address is [email protected], and as always, Jennifer is open to working with members on events, sponsorship, and general membership matters.
Thank you, and as always, please get in touch with any thoughts or questions you may have. See you in the fall!
Charlene
