Will the competitive awakening extend to Bill C-69?
Something really interesting has happened. In the November fall economic update, the federal government promised to build in “efficiency and economic growth” as an integral part of regulators’ mandates, and to enshrine in legislation that the “economic impacts of new, revised or cumulative regulations are key considerations for regulators.” That’s great news. It is aligned […]
Eastern promises: Canada should look to Asia to shift away from a sole export market, say experts
With a rapidly dropping oil price, experts suggest looking across the Pacific Ocean to divest its traditional, north-south oil trading route, but the delay in pipeline construction inhibits Canada’s oil and natural gas reaching B.C.’s coast. A backlog of oil is the result of low pipeline capacity, creating a lot of supply and driving down […]
Liberal actions to blame for energy paralysis
Last Wednesday, the Speaker of the House of Commons granted an emergency debate on the Canadian energy crisis, requested by Conservatives because it is an emergency for all of Canada. The massive price discount on Canadian oil and gas negatively impacts all of Canada and disproportionately hurts Alberta. Canada’s oil and gas sector has already […]
‘Eagle Spirit’ pipeline gaining momentum as other projects stonewalled, says proponent
As Alberta faces low oil prices and other pipeline projects struggle to be built, the president of a company proposing a multi-billion-dollar Indigenous-led pipeline project that includes plans for a western “energy corridor” says federal politicians should be paying more attention to his idea. While a number of factors have to fall into place for […]
The climate emergency requires extraordinary measures
As any observer of the energy scene can confirm, renewable energy is providing an increasingly large portion of our energy needs. Photovoltaic solar panels are cheaper than coal. Geothermal and wind are competitive with other fossil fuels. We have the technology to phase out the internal combustion engine and to massively reduce the energy wasted […]
British Columbia’s two LNG projects may be a first step in regaining trust among investors
Canada’s economy cannot prosper without a growing and healthy resource sector. For years, the oil and gas industry has struggled with prices in North America well below those elsewhere in the world. The announcement that two liquified natural gas (LNG) projects exporting natural gas to Asia are going ahead potentially is a turning point for […]
Deliberation: can we fix government decision-making?
OTTAWA—Are governments losing their ability to deliver on tough planning decisions? Projects such as pipelines, hospitals, or the purchase of fighter jets are routinely changed, postponed, or even abandoned. What’s the point of having a government, we might ask, if it can’t even deliver on its own decisions? I co-chair a team of experts from […]
Nuclear industry eyes more federal support of ‘small modular reactors,’ as advocates push for Ottawa to hit pause
The Canadian nuclear industry is looking for more federal government involvement in supporting the development of a new generation of reactors, after Natural Resources Canada put out a “roadmap” report earlier this month, spelling out steps different players in the sector could take. The small modular reactor (SMR) roadmap was published on Nov. 7, and […]
Canada’s natural advantage drives prosperity in energy sector
The world is in the midst of something that has only happened a few times in history—a fundamental shift in the types of energy that drive our societies. The effects of climate change are making Canadians re-think how we power our factories, heat our homes and fuel our vehicles. That includes doing more with less, […]
Energy Policy Briefing
