Feds push Keystone to U.S., without Alberta

[mentalfloss]

Feds push Keystone to U.S., without Alberta

OTTAWA - A new political reality surfaced Wednesday in which Ottawa is aggressively marketing an Alberta pipeline project that the new provincial government says it won't promote and doesn't even want.

Finance Minister Joe Oliver's speech Wednesday before a Wall Street crowd makes it clear Ottawa is happy to take over from the Alberta government when it comes to pitching the stalled Keystone XL project in the United States.

The federal Conservative government's latest Keystone pitch comes just days after Alberta voters elected the NDP and leader Rachel Notley, who has made it clear she won't be taking part in the pipeline-promoting trips of her predecessors.

In his address, Oliver once again expressed the Conservative government's exasperation with the delays in approving the project, which would transport Alberta oilsands bitumen to the U.S.

"To take full advantage of our energy wealth we need to access markets, which implies the construction of pipelines," Oliver said in his speech, given at an event organized by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

"That is why Canada finds it frustrating that it's still awaiting presidential approval on the Keystone project."

Following Notley's stunning victory last week in Alberta, which gave the NDP a majority government, Ottawa appears to have lost a crucial partner in the effort to promote Keystone to Americans.

Notley has said she doesn't necessarily oppose pipelines, but when it comes to Keystone XL, she would rather see the oilsands bitumen refined in Canada instead of the U.S.

And unlike Alberta's Progressive Conservative premiers of the past, Notley has said she's prepared to let the Keystone XL debate in the U.S. play itself out.

Up until now, Albertan governments have been active on the ground in Washington, where they've marketed the region's oil and the Keystone XL project. The province's messaging has mirrored that of its own oil industry and Alberta has even spent money on lobbyists to help support the sector's cause.

The province has also promoted the pipeline through its four-member diplomatic office in Washington, which could now face personnel changes under the new government.

The future of Keystone XL itself remains murky.

U.S. President Barack Obama has vetoed a bill to build the controversial pipeline, played down its importance for the American economy and described the method of producing oilsands crude in Canada as "an extraordinarily dirty way of extracting oil."

Obama, however, has left his door open a crack. He has said his decision to veto the bill wasn't the final word on the subject and he has yet to make a final decision.

Oliver's speech Wednesday shows that Ottawa remains hopeful. It hit notes from previous Keystone pitches from the Harper government, insisting the project would be safe for the environment and create jobs as well as economic growth in both countries.

"We hope it will be approved so Canada and America can move forward together," he said.

http://m.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/5616649-feds-push-keystone-to-u-s-without-alberta

 

[MHz]

They should check the weather map and if the winters in the East are not going to get any worse the Ottawa proposing any line but one straight to Ontario should be considered to be an act of treason against the voters of Canada. If they want to play business man join the business community rather than being the conduit that takes choice out of the hands of the 'owners', the taxpayers.

Would it be cheaper to put the line under the existing rail lines as most of them could use some straightening for faster engines as rail is the long distance people mover and freight.

 

[Walter]

They should check the weather map and if the winters in the East are not going to get any worse the Ottawa proposing any line but one straight to Ontario should be considered to be an act of treason against the voters of Canada. If they want to play business man join the business community rather than being the conduit that takes choice out of the hands of the 'owners', the taxpayers.

Would it be cheaper to put the line under the existing rail lines as most of them could use some straightening for faster engines as rail is the long distance people mover and freight.

ON doesn't have the refining capacity for all that oil.

 

[mentalfloss]

Even FP admits it's time to move on from oil.

On the environment side, we believe that not having a provincial policy may have played a contributing factor in holding up the approval of the Keystone pipeline in addition to all of the protests against Enbridge Inc.’s Gateway pipeline.

Hopefully, any new policy will walk a fine line and not be overly complex and costly, but still appease anyone against further oil and gas development, especially the oil sands.

For investors wondering where we go from here, we hope that the energy sector holds up as well as it did during the last royalty review, when it still traded up with commodity prices, but underperformed its U.S. counterparts by approximately 10 to 15 per cent.

That said, so far so good, as it appears the sector’s recent selloff may have more to do with the falling price of oil than the NDP winning the election.

What energy investors know — and don’t know — so far in new era of uncertainty in Alberta

 

[Walter]

Even FP admits it's time to move on from oil.

On the environment side, we believe that not having a provincial policy may have played a contributing factor in holding up the approval of the Keystone pipeline in addition to all of the protests against Enbridge Inc.’s Gateway pipeline.

Hopefully, any new policy will walk a fine line and not be overly complex and costly, but still appease anyone against further oil and gas development, especially the oil sands.

For investors wondering where we go from here, we hope that the energy sector holds up as well as it did during the last royalty review, when it still traded up with commodity prices, but underperformed its U.S. counterparts by approximately 10 to 15 per cent.

That said, so far so good, as it appears the sector’s recent selloff may have more to do with the falling price of oil than the NDP winning the election.

What energy investors know — and don’t know — so far in new era of uncertainty in Alberta

"Who needs mechanical looms?", Ned Ludd.

 

[petros]

On the environment side, we believe that not having a provincial policy may have played a contributing factor in holding up the approval of the Keystone pipeline

Opposition had absolutely nothing to do with environment. None, nada, zero, zip zant doodley squat. It was 100% in regards to US kerogen development.

A big win for enviro. LMFAO

 

[MHz]

ON doesn't have the refining capacity for all that oil.

Incebntive to do something with the steel and auto industry workers that are 'taking a break'.

 

[taxslave]

Just because Albertans decided to shoot themselves in the wallet is no reason for the rest of the country to suffer.

 

[mentalfloss]

NDP's Brian Topp signals new direction for Alberta oil sands | National Observer
National Observer

Alberta NDP premier-designate Rachel Notley’s selection of Brian Topp as one of her closest executives is signaling to some that Alberta’s energy and environmental future is about to undergo a major change.

The one-time federal NDP leadership contender and recent election-war-room general for the Alberta NDP will become Notley’s chief of staff. In the past, Topp has proposed strident policy shifts for Alberta’s energy sector.

In a 2012 speech to the Economic Club of Canada, Topp called for a "much more orderly and considered pace" of oil sands development, a transition fund to shift the Western Canada away from the raw export of bitumen, and firmer carbon pricing to rein in global warming emissions.

“I believe we need to establish a hard cap on carbon emissions, and mean it,” said Topp, at the time.

He's also called for a "lifecycle environmental cost accounting of resource development” and a review of energy royalties. Finally, Topp has been a sharp critic of the foreign ownership of the oil sands, saying: "Canada has no energy strategy, no industrial strategy, and no trade strategy other than to invite countries that do have these policies to come and help themselves to our raw, unprocessed resources, to the benefit of themselves,” Topp wrote in an op-ed for the Globe and Mail.

“We have constructed an economy increasingly dependent on the export of raw unprocessed resources,” he added.

Ethical Oil author Ezra Levant bashed Topp Wednesday as an "anti-oil extremist” from outside the province who also opposes the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

On the other hand, environmentalists applauded the NDP's move. A new online petition urges Premier Notley to be "Canada’s newest climate hero” and asks her to close coal plants, tax oil companies "at a rate that more than offsets their destruction," and invest heavily in clean energy.

Notley has rejected Enbridge’s Northern Gateway as “not the right decision,” saying there is "too much environmental sensitivity there” and "a genuine concern by the Indigenous communities.” She also mused about boosting refining of Alberta oil, instead of just exporting raw bitumen.

So what’s likely to happen?

University of Calgary political studies professor Barry Cooper said Brian Topp is ultimately not the decision-maker — his boss Notley is.

“He will probably do what he’s told. He has experience in government, and not many in this [new] government have,” said Cooper on Thursday.

The professor added that the NDP's latest musings about rebuilding refining capacity in Alberta —as an alternative to the raw export of bitumen —is a very old, very studied and "very stupid" idea.

“Lots of Alberta premiers have said that. Peter Lougheed said something similar," said Cooper.

“[But] no provincial government is going to squander billions of dollars [on building refining capacity.] It’s too expensive, and it’s uneconomic."

More carbon pricing expected

Mount Royal University policy studies professor Lori Williams said Calgary does not expect radical shifts from Premier Notley, but gradual ones in close collaboration with the oil industry and Albertans.

“[The premier] knows [the oil sector] is the engine of the Alberta economy, and much of the Canadian economy. And she’s going to be moving very carefully,” Williams said Thursday.

“On the positive side, [her government will] look seriously at the criticisms of the oil sands. So I think a carbon tax or cap and trade will be brought forward… which might actually be good for the reputation of Alberta oil."

Williams also foresees increased corporate taxes and more research dollars for efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

Topp, 54, once served as Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow’s deputy chief of staff, and as worked in union leadership, business consulting, and political strategy roles.

He was brought in to help with the B.C. NDP's election campaign in 2013 which was a spectacular disaster for the party. The Liberal Clark government resumed power and Topp admitted to making strategic errors. Analysts said the NDP's mid-election policy shift to oppose the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline cost them votes.

But last week's Alberta election ended 44 years of Progressive Conservative rule, and catapulted the NDP from obscurity to a 53-seat majority in the legislature.

New Democrats are waiting for the final vote recount before they can be sworn in as the new government and the premier can announce her new cabinet.

NDP's Brian Topp signals new direction for Alberta oil sands | National Observer

 

[MHz]

A couple of things worth noting.
"and firmer carbon pricing to rein in global warming emissions.

“I believe we need to establish a hard cap on carbon emissions, and mean it,” said Topp, at the time.

He's also called for a "lifecycle environmental cost accounting of resource development” and a review of energy royalties. Finally, Topp has been a sharp critic of the foreign ownership of the oil sands, saying: "Canada has no energy strategy, no industrial strategy, and no trade strategy other than to invite countries that do have these policies to come and help themselves to our raw, unprocessed resources, to the benefit of themselves,” Topp wrote in an op-ed for the Globe and Mail.

“We have constructed an economy increasingly dependent on the export of raw unprocessed resources,” he added."

Hired and fired the same day. CO2 emissions don't mean a great deal when you are surrounded by huge expanses of 'forest' that give off, . . . wait for it, . . CO2. The 'downsizing' will be promoted as a new and efficient way to modernize the 'booming economy' when the old term 'recession' is just as good a definition.
If you can put it in a pipeline and it comes from the tar sands it is a refined product and the material that comes from that area is a very efficient lubricant that retail for about $10/ltr. Raw product from that area would be shipping it with the sand still attached and then it could be shipped in any direction by rail in a spill-proof condition. Nations with raw products have to ship it as a raw product unless they can supply all the manufactured goods that are made from from those same exports, Alberta has no people or locations for that sort of development unless we were to dictate what the customers wanted before they knew they even needed something new. NG cannot be used in any form that it 'raw' form.

The practice that should have never started is Government subsidies for those same foreign firms from when the place was determined to have something useful for somebody who already lived far away. We paid them to build the roads and all the other parts as cheap as possible so their share-holders would get the best return and then when it is time to shut the project down it gets 'sold' to the same people who built it via Govt handouts.
All it is is new wrapping paper that is in line with the 'share-holders' rather than the 'tax-payers'.

Just because Albertans decided to shoot themselves in the wallet is no reason for the rest of the country to suffer.

Albertans don't run the Province, international corporations do. Did you miss that part in the article. The headlines we produce are written someplace else. Buying an old relic that takes in 5x as much energy as it exports will be promoted as saving the Province for the 'Tax-payer' and then it gets shut down as there aren't enough customers once the exports dry up.

We have a better export id drastic weather changes are coming that moves the snow-belt 250-500 miles further south. They need topsoil or 100 years to grow 6" of it before it will produce a crop. No use strip mining the Prairies as the topsoil there is dead and on it's own it can only hold up the roots rather that have anything the plant can use as food. The solution would be to strip-mine the swamps in Alberta, Sask, and Manitoba and ship it to Texas and the other States and northern Mexico as that material can grow things on it's own right out of the box as that area will not have the chems that allow dead soil to produce bumper crops.
Guess why that will never be allowed to happen?