The AER is authorized to make decisions on applications for energy development, monitoring for compliance assurance, decommissioning of developments, and all other aspects of energy resource activities (activities that must have an approval under one or more of the six provincial energy statutes). This authority extends to approvals under the public lands and environment statutes that relate to energy resource activities.

The AER regulates the following:

• Over 174 000 operating wells and 431 000 km of pipelines
• 797 gas processing plants
• Nine oil sands mines
• More than 50 thermal in situ and 200 primary/enhanced schemes
• Five bitumen upgraders
• 7 producing coal mines
• Four coal processing plants

The AER is responsible for managing Alberta's energy resources.

2015 remaining established reserves:

• 1.8 billion barrels of crude oil
• 165 billion barrels of crude bitumen
• 31.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, including coalbed methane
• 36.6 billion tons of coal

2015 annual production:

• 193 million barrels of conventional crude oil
• 923 million barrels of bitumen
• 3.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, including coalbed methane
• 30 million tons of coal

Refer to any of the data sets in ST98: Alberta's Energy Reserves & Supply/Demand Outlook for measurement conversions.