FORCE is delighted to welcome Craig Chandler as the new Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs.
The new position comes as tidal energy activity accelerates in Nova Scotia, with projects advancing toward deployment and growing demands around permitting, environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance.
Craig brings more than 30 years of experience advancing complex industrial and renewable energy projects. For more than a decade, his work has focused on marine renewable energy, helping tidal and wave projects navigate consenting, environmental monitoring, regulatory requirements, and Rights Holder and stakeholder engagement in Canada and internationally.
He has worked both within marine energy development teams and as an advisor to government, giving him a practical understanding of the challenges involved in introducing new technologies into existing regulatory systems.
In Nova Scotia, Craig’s work has included marine renewable energy licensing and permitting, securing and maintaining Fisheries and Oceans Canada authorizations for tidal deployments, developing environmental effects monitoring programs, and working with regulators, researchers, technology developers, Mi’kmaw organizations and communities.
He has also contributed to international marine energy conferences and expert workshops, including OES Environmental and ORJIP initiatives focused on environmental effects, monitoring and consenting.
“The marine energy industry is young but growing, and regulatory approaches have to respond to new technologies, new information and what we learn from projects in the water,” says Craig. “I’m looking forward to working with FORCE, regulators, developers and research partners to help projects move forward responsibly.”
At FORCE, Craig will support regulatory affairs, compliance and environmental monitoring as activity at the site grows, helping connect regulatory requirements with project planning, operations, research and monitoring.
“Craig has spent years working through the practical regulatory challenges of putting marine energy devices in the water,” says Lindsay Bennett, FORCE’s Executive Director. “That experience is increasingly important as activity at FORCE grows. Adding this position strengthens our ability to work with developers and regulators, and to ensure that science and monitoring continue to inform how tidal energy advances in the Bay of Fundy.”
Craig holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Dalhousie University.
Welcome, Craig – we’re very glad to have you on the team.