When we talk about energy policy here in Canada, whether provincial or national, the discussion usually revolves around investment, jobs, revenues, and the environment. That's generally been the terms of discussion on the recently killed Northern Gateway pipeline: who'll get the money, who'll get the jobs, and who'll bear the risk. But there's another dimension to energy policy that is often left out of the discussion, which is the idea of energy security, not only for Canada, but for the world as a whole. And decisions like Northern Gateway do little to add to Canada's energy security.
oil and gas
May 31, 2013
2:00AM
On the last day of May, the government of British Columbia gave the back of its hand to Alberta and indirectly to the rest of Canada, which benefitsand could benefit morefrom continued development of Albertas oilsands. Claiming insufficient environmental protections, the BC government rejected the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project that would bring bitumen from Albertas oilsands to Kitimat, where it could be exported to markets in Asia.
May 22, 2013
2:00AM
In a speech to the Canada-UK Chamber of Commerce in London on July 14, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper referred to Canada as the emerging energy superpower that his government intends to build. The prime minister and Joe Oliver, minister of natural resources, have repeated this claim on various occasions since.
While the term energy superpower sounds exciting and important, that likely isnt where the country is heading (and likely not what we want to be). Rather, Canada is on track to become an energy superproducer if the right policy framework is in place.
April 9, 2013
2:00AM
Michael Binnion, CEO of Questerre Energy and head of the Quebec Oil and Gas Association, has a great blog post up in which he discusses the impact that equalization payments have on Quebec's energy and natural resource policy.
Looking at Quebec's budget, Binnion observes:
August 10, 2012
2:00AM
If you asked a typical Canadian to name the best place for investing in the petroleum industry, theyd likely say Alberta. But ask a typical petroleum executive, and the answer is quite different.
In recent years, executives responding to the Fraser Institutes annual Global Petroleum Survey have shied away from Alberta, a trend that began in 2009 when the province plummeted in terms of attractiveness for investment following introduction of the so-called New Royalty Framework.
July 20, 2012
2:00AM
When petroleum companies think about where to invest money in exploration and development of oil and gas, Quebec is far down the list of preferred destinations.