The mandate of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, which regulates the province’s offshore oil and gas industry, is being expanded to support the transition to a clean economy.

Along with the new mandate comes the intention to change the board’s name. The C-NLOPB will be rebranding as the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Energy Board or the C-NLOEB.

The announcement was made yesterday in a joint statement between federal minister Jonathan Wilkinson and provincial minister Andrew Parsons.

The two governments have agreed to work toward modernizing the C-NLOPB and expanding its mandate to include the regulation of offshore renewable energy development. That includes offshore wind and clean hydrogen.

The change will require amendments to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, while the provincial government has committed to introducing similar legislative changes in the House of Assembly.

The federal minister is also initiating a regional assessment under the Impact Assessment Act for wind energy in the province’s offshore.