Low prices should temper drive to ship oil east, critics say
While the rising demand for oil in China and other countries in the Far East drives the desire for some to build the Northern Gateway and other pipelines, the severe slump in oil prices may make the projects less attractive, say some MPs and industry watchers. The United States continues to be Canada’s main consumer […]
Low oil prices could be opportunity for more stringent environmental regulations: experts
As the price of oil tumbles, resulting in spending cuts and shrinking employment in the industry, some say this is a time for government to re-evaluate its strong commitment to the sector. “The consensus industry-wide forecast is that oil and gas investment will be down about 30 per cent in 2015. That is certainly a […]
Plumeting oil prices has ripple effects on Alberta economy
The shock of plummeting prices in the oil industry in Alberta may have ripple effects that could further hit the province’s economy, while some industry watchers say it may be time for governments and the industry to catch-up on providing services to a population that boomed beyond capacity and re-evaluate government reliance on revenues from […]
Feds’ help needed to update electrical grid, say stakeholders
Canada’s electricity transmission and distribution system is in need of an overhaul and for any meaningful collaboration across the country to occur, the federal government needs to be at the table, say energy critics and industry experts. As it stands, the country’s power sources are becoming more distributive and that will require more expansive power […]
Alternative energy investment in Canada ‘lagging,’ say critics
A new global ranking of countries’ renewable energy attractiveness is adding fuel to opposition parties’ criticism that the Conservative government’s prioritizing of oil and gas energy development has neglected alternative energy. The latest edition of Ernst & Young Global Limited’s renewable energy country attractiveness index was released March 2, and saw Canada slip into sixth […]
Rickford confident Keystone XL will be approved, despite Obama’s veto
Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford says he’s confident the Keystone XL pipeline will be approved, despite U.S. President Barack Obama’s veto of it two weeks ago. On March 4, the U.S. Senate was unable to get the required 67 votes needed to supersede Mr. Obama’s Feb. 24 veto, however, it’s not likely to be […]
Hush-hush about LeBreton Flats anchor project plans, NCC’s secretive, arrogant style
OTTAWA—The federal National Capital Commission always has been its own worst enemy when it acts as a developer with private partners. Nor has it ever been a great or responsive capital planner inspiring imaginative world-class projects. Now the arrogant and uninspiring the NCC possesses faces its biggest ever challenge: how will it finally facilitate […]
Minister Leitch promotes Lydon as new chief of staff
Labour and Status of Women Minister Kellie Leitch has finally hired a new chief of staff to run her ministerial office and last week promoted her director of communications, Chris Lydon, to the top position. Ms. Leitch’s former chief of staff, Dan Miles, left the minister’s office in April to move to Toronto to […]
We need to harness clean, safe sources of limitless energy
Recently, The Globe and Mail referred to storage as the “Holy Grail of renewable energy.” The article, “Ontario seeks wind, solar energy storage options” (Richard Blackwell, Aug. 3, 2014) described the latest provincial efforts by the Ontario government to find ways to store renewables. Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) have selected […]
Canada’s Armed Forces have a unique opportunity to drive change
Necessity has certainly fuelled invention in the energy world. As we continue to work our way through the finite global supply of fossil fuels, countries large and small have been scrambling to develop and deploy clean-energy alternatives. The most recent conflicts in Iraq sent oil prices to their highest point since the 2008 financial […]
