Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm David Spicer, vice-president of regulatory modernization. With me today is Carl Cotton, vice-president of the program development directorate. We're with Measurement Canada.
Measurement Canada is an agency of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Our mandate and legislation are designed to ensure measurement accuracy to protect consumers from measurement errors.
Clause 162 would provide the ability for the minister to make regulations to allow new units of measure for electricity and gas sales and distribution not currently specified in the act. This measure increases the agility of legislation and facilitates a faster response when new technologies are proposed to enter into the Canadian marketplace. This authority would allow the government to react more quickly to accommodate new technologies and innovation that might not use traditional units of measure for electricity consumption.
Current examples would be zero-emission vehicles and light-emitting diode street lights being introduced with innovative measuring devices.
The authority permits the use of the new unit of measurement in a time-limited context. The regulations made under this authority would expire when a permanent amendment to the electricity and gas inspection regulations is made through the normal regulation-making process, or they would expire after three years.
Thank you.