Latest news with #AdrianDix
Globe and Mail
11-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Alberta working with oil companies on pipeline proposal, Danielle Smith says
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is working with oil companies to try and secure a proposal for a new pipeline to the west coast – and says she expects Prime Minister Mark Carney to 'operate in good faith' on the pipeline issue. The Alberta government has also pitched Mr. Carney on a kind of quid pro quo, in which oil companies commit to building the Pathways carbon capture project if he greenlights an oil pipeline. Oil and gas pipelines have come into sharp focus in the wake of President Donald Trump's trade war, as Canada's fossil fuel sector searches for more opportunities to diversify itself from the United States, its largest customer. Mr. Carney has also pledged to make Canada into an energy superpower, but Ms. Smith says meeting that goal will rely on new pipelines that can transport Alberta oil and gas to a Canadian coast –west, north or east – for access to overseas markets. British Columbia's Energy Minister, Adrian Dix, recently shut down the idea of a new pipeline in the province, citing the impracticality and massive costs associated with such a proposal. But Ms. Smith told the Global Energy Show in Calgary on Wednesday that she's confident she can convince the province's premier, David Eby, of the merits of an oil pipeline. 'We're doing what we can to address the legitimate concerns that we heard,' Ms. Smith said. 'What I've heard them say recently is there's no project - no project and no proponent. Well, that's my job. There will be soon. We're working very hard on being able to get industry players, private-sector players, to realize this time might be different.' Ms. Smith said there may be a consortium of companies interested in joining forces to build a pipeline. If so, she said Alberta would work with the group to test out Mr. Carney's promised two-year approval process for major infrastructure projects. 'We know that it's a chicken-and-egg problem, that no one's going to come forward with a project without some guarantee that's going to be approved,' she said. 'The Prime Minister, I want to take him at his word that he wants to operate in good faith. So we're going to operate in good faith.' The ultimate goal is to get an oil pipeline onto a list of major infrastructure projects being developed by the federal government. Ms. Smith said she also wants to see the Pathways Alliance carbon capture project on that list. The Pathways Alliance is a consortium of Canada's six largest oil sands companies, which together have publicly committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from oil sands production by 2050. At the heart of the group's pledge is a 400-kilometre-long pipeline that would transport carbon captured at oil sands facilities to an underground hub near Cold Lake, Alta., reducing emissions by 22 megatonnes a year. The project could cost anywhere from $10-billion to $20-billion – an amount that's all expense, because there is no revenue associated with it, Ms. Smith said. 'But if you couple it with a million barrel-per-day pipeline, that allows you $20-billion worth of revenue year after year after year for the lifetime of that project. All of a sudden, a $10-billion to $20-billion cost to decarbonize looks a lot more attractive when you have a new source of revenue.' Ms. Smith said she doesn't believe it would be problematic to fill a new pipeline, given that Enbridge recently announced an open season on its Flanagan South pipeline expansion to the U.S. for 100,000 barrels, and drew 400,000 barrels of interest. 'What we are hearing from the energy sector is: Build it, they will come.'
Globe and Mail
10-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
B.C. Insider: Premier, Energy Minister say Alberta's pipeline proposals aren't viable
Hi everyone, Mark Iype this morning, filling in for Wendy Cox. Last week, B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix dismissed the idea of a new pipeline across the province, saying proposals coming from its immediate neighbour to the east are just not practical. 'We need projects that are actual projects – that are viable economic projects,' he said Wednesday, after the first ministers meeting held earlier in the week. 'With respect to pipelines and what we're seeing from the province of Alberta, we respond to practical proposals.' Canada's premiers met June 2 in Saskatoon, where discussions around 'nation-building' energy projects were front and centre. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wants to find ways to ship more bitumen from her province, and has been pushing for the revival of the Northern Gateway pipeline project, which would move product to the northern coast of British Columbia. But Dix says there is no economic case for the project, which is why there are no private-sector proponents looking to step up. The minister's economic argument pointed out the high cost of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which cost Canadian taxpayers $34-billion, about six times what the project was initially pegged at. Alberta's Energy Minister, Brian Jean, insisted that the project would be of national interest. 'Premier David Eby is on the record as saying that he will respect the Prime Minister's and Canadians' desire to build nation-building projects,' Jean said in a statement to The Globe and Mail last Wednesday. 'Of all the projects under consideration, this is the one that will lead to the most jobs, taxes, royalties and opportunities for Indigenous Canadians. This project is good for Albertans, British Columbians and Canadians.' Eby, however, is not on board. 'It's not my job to tell Premier Smith that her vision for a North Coast pipeline is many, many years off and there's no proponent at this point,' he said while on his trade mission to East Asia. 'My job is to ensure that British Columbians' interests are protected and promoted, and one of those ways that we're doing that is driving forward shovel-ready projects.' Both Dix and Eby also said that B.C. does not support the lifting of the ban on oil tankers off its coast, another of Smith's demands of the federal government. The initial Northern Gateway plan faced protests and lawsuits from Indigenous and environmental groups, and was also opposed by the B.C. government. The Federal Court of Appeal also ruled in 2016 that the Conservative government of Stephen Harper had failed to adequately consult Indigenous communities when it issued the conditional permit for the pipeline in 2014. The court ordered the new Liberal government to revisit the process, but then-prime minister Justin Trudeau killed the project. Enbridge formally withdrew the project in 2017. One expert, Amy Janzwood, an assistant professor in the department of political science and the Bieler School of the Environment at McGill University, said uncertainty about future demand for Alberta oil would likely keep the project shelved. 'The industry has not been in the market for new mega oil sands pipeline developments. They have long since moved away from this,' Janzwood told The Globe. 'I would be extremely shocked to see any kind of serious proposal, not to mention the political conflicts, Indigenous consultation and all of the challenges that come with mega infrastructure projects.' This is the weekly British Columbia newsletter written by B.C. Editor Wendy Cox. If you're reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for it and all Globe newsletters here.
Vancouver Sun
06-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Pro-gas, anti-oil: B.C.'s NDP has monetary and environmental reasons for backing LNG
VICTORIA — The week ended with encouraging pipeline news from the B.C. government, as opposed to how the week started. The province's environmental assessment office announced approval on Thursday for continued construction of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, half-owned by the Nisga'a nation which plans a floating LNG export terminal on the coast. 'This is an important step — not just for PRGT, but for the Nisga'a Nation's vision of self-determination and long-term prosperity,' said Eva Clayton, elected president of the Nisga'a Lisims government. 'For too long, Indigenous Nations have watched resource development happen around us, instead of with us.' Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Contrast the NDP greenlighting of the Nisga'a-backed natural gas project with its reaction to the proposal, touted earlier in the week, for a pipeline to transport Alberta oil through B.C. to tidewater at Prince Rupert or Kitimat. 'That idea doesn't make sense to us,' said Energy Minister Adrian Dix, echoing similar comments from Deputy Premier Niki Sharma and Premier David Eby. A natural gas pipeline makes far more sense to the New Democrats because, for starters, the financial returns would be greater for the provincial treasury. B.C. has little oil to develop or export but vast reserves of natural gas. The New Democrats also promote natural gas as a 'transition fuel,' to help wean customers off reliance on oil and coal as energy sources. Plus, as former NDP Premier John Horgan used to say, natural gas pipelines are preferable over the oil variety, because when a line ruptures, natural gas vents into the atmosphere while oil inundates the landscape. The Eby government telegraphed support for the Nisga'a natural gas project in the runup to last month's critical vote on Bills 14 and 15. Most major Indigenous leaders in the province asked the government to hold off passage on the legislation that gave the cabinet sweeping powers to fast-track approval of energy (Bill 14) and infrastructure (Bill 15) projects. But on the day the New Democrats used their legislative majority to push through the bills, the premier's office circulated a letter of endorsement for those laws from Nisga'a president Clayton. The letter was intended to underscore a point made by a senior NDP staffer when asked why the NDP's own Indigenous MLAs were voting for the legislation: 'The Indigenous community is not a monolith.' Still, the news was barely out Thursday regarding environmental approval for the PRGT natural gas project, when opponents announced that the fight was not over. 'A reckless decision that prioritizes profits for foreign billionaires over Indigenous rights, environmental protection and community well-being,' said the news release from the Green party. Which is the kind of rhetoric one might have heard from David Eby in his previous incarnation as an NDP activist. Today, it is more likely to feed the exasperation Eby expressed in the legislature last week when interim Green leader Jeremy Valeriote accused him of failing to consult and cooperate on policy and legislation. 'For Pete's sake, we just issued a report together,' replied Eby, referring to the update from the New Democrats and Greens on their cooperation agreement. 'The executive summary says 'the cooperation and responsible government accord between the B.C. Green caucus and the B.C. New Democrat caucus reflects a shared commitment to working collaboratively on issues that matter to people.'' Valeriote's effort to have it both ways recalls former leader Andrew Weaver, who threatened to 'bring down' the John Horgan NDP government for providing tax and regulatory incentives to secure the LNG Canada project. Horgan enacted the incentives with the support of the then Liberal Opposition. Eby has the votes to proceed without opposition support, as he demonstrated last week on Bills 14 and 15. The 900-kilometre PRGT line runs in part through the territory of the Gitanyow people, whose hereditary chiefs oppose the project. 'This isn't the end of the story,' said Gitanyow Chief Watakhayetsxw, also known as Deborah Good, who took part in a blockade that stopped construction on the line last year. 'We'll continue to fight to protect our territory with all actions needed, in the courts and on the ground.' Also weighing in was Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, who seldom misses an opportunity to blast the NDP government despite the fact his wife, Joan, is an NDP MLA. 'This is not a government that believes in reconciliation, and it could trigger a long, hot summer,' he said in a statement. The Prince Rupert pipeline and the LNG project are both subject to legal challenges. The LNG terminal also needs environmental approval. But it should be recalled that there was also ferocious opposition to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, now serving the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat. Construction was blocked and, in one instance, sabotaged. The legislature itself was blockaded for a time. Still, the line was completed, the gas is already being delivered to the terminal site, and LNG shipments are imminent. Energy Minister Adrian Dix is planning to visit the project later this month. Perhaps Eby will join him in taking credit for a project that would not have happened without NDP support. vpalmer@
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Alberta pushing for pipeline to the west coast; B.C. not in support of the idea
Alberta is leading the charge for a new pipeline to the west coast to strengthen our economy amid the ongoing trade war, but B.C. does not support the idea. As Alberta's government signs an agreement aimed at cutting red tape for oilfield rigs, it asks Ottawa to clear the path for a cross-country pipeline since B.C. opposes the idea. 'That's where the federal government really needs to step up because no province can block another province's access to tidewater to markets,' said Devin Dreeshen, Alberta's transportation and economic corridors minister. With the prime minister promising to fast-track projects of national interest, Alberta's premier is eyeing a potential route. 'We've got to work with where we think we'll have the most success, and where I think we'll have the most success right now is working on a corridor between Hudson Bay and the port of Prince Rupert,' Premier Danielle Smith said. But B.C. says that doesn't make sense to them. 'This would be a colossally expensive and not economic proposal. It's a political proposal, and fair enough, but we have a different view,' said Adrian Dix, B.C.'s energy and climate solutions minister. The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion ended up costing nearly seven times the original price, forcing the federal government to step in and save it, leaving taxpayers on the hook for the nearly $34-billion project. Alberta has not yet named any potential projects. 'We're currently trying to make sure that we can send those signals to industry, that they can invest in new pipelines in Canada,' Dreeshen said. Energy experts say one of the biggest barriers is securing investors. 'We see this right now, for example, with LNG Canada on the west coast; we're not waiting for regulatory approval, we're waiting for the investors to say yes, and we've been waiting for the investors to say yes for a number of years now,' said Andrew Leach, University of Alberta energy economist. Some economists point to other ideas to improve Canada's economy and sovereignty, including high-speed rail or an east-west power grid. 'One that's much more likely to get the consent of First Nations, one that meets our long-term energy needs rather than short-term political positioning,' said Marc Lee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives senior economist. In 2019, Ottawa approved twinning of the Trans Mountain Pipeline despite opposition from B.C.'s government and First Nations.
The Province
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Province
Capacity crunch? B.C. Hydro seeks proposals for more backup power for provincial grid
Hydro needs new sources of firm power with the cost of renewables falling. Critics argue it's a sign the system's hitting a 'capacity crunch' B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / 10106645A With no new big dams of its own to build, B.C. Hydro on Wednesday threw open a window for private developers to propose new sources of 'baseload' power to back up the growing list of renewable electricity proposals it's enlisting to expand the province's grid. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'Baseload' refers to sources of power utilities can turn on or off as needed, such as B.C. Hydro's existing dams. With this, Hydro is considering possibilities for geothermal, pump-storage hydro or even grid-scale batteries as a means to meet peak demand when intermittent wind and solar sources are less reliable. B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix didn't put a number on the amount of electricity Hydro might be looking for in a request for expressions of interest, just that 'we want to see what's out there and get those proposals in place.' Dix, however, characterized the step as 'a moment when we have to build again to diversify, to build the economy and to create wealth,' not dissimilar to the period of B.C.'s dam-building boom in the 1960s and 1970s. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This call for power, though, is about the growth of our economy, about the opportunities in mining, about the requests for power that are at an extremely high level,' Dix said. 'We've got to build out clean electricity, which is one of our significant economic advantages in B.C.' Critics of the government's energy policy, however, look at the announcement as evidence that the ambitions in government's Clean B.C. plan to electrify the economy are putting a strain on the province's electricity grid. 'This is an acknowledgment that B.C. Hydro is facing a capacity crunch,' said Barry Penner, executive director of the Energy Futures Institute and former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister. Penner's Energy Futures Institute is one of the groups that has questioned whether Hydro is keeping up with demand, particularly since B.C. Hydro is in the third year of drought conditions that have pushed it to being a net importer of electricity. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. B.C. Hydro's Site C dam, which is expected to be fully in commission by the end of this year, will add eight per cent to B.C.'s electricity supply. Dix added that the 10 independent power projects approved last fall will add another eight per cent, but won't start coming online until 2028. On Wednesday, Penner acknowledged that it makes sense for Hydro to explore the capacity of future options, such as geothermal, but it shouldn't discount the potential of the existing natural-gas-fired power generation that it has on hand now, but is planning on decommissioning as part of its Clean B.C. plan. Penner added that he was attending the Go Clean Energy Conference in Bend, Ore., as he spoke to Postmedia News, where representatives from California talked about that state's plans to pause its plans to get rid of natural-gas-fired plants in light of long-term drought. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There is some policy cognitive dissonance, shutting down existing capacity when they say we need more,' Penner said. Conservative Opposition critic Larry Neufeld said 'we need to be far less scared of natural gas.' 'We have nothing against green energy whatsoever, the geothermal, the biogas he's talking about,' said Neufeld, who is also the Tory MLA for Peach River North. 'Our concern would be, though, that investing too much in one area leaves us open to not fulfilling the baseload (requirements) as fully as it should be.' However, Mark Zacharias, a special adviser to the think-tank Clean Energy Canada, said 'there are many sources, all of them are … feasible and should be cost-competitive over time.' Considering regulatory timelines, Zacharias said grid-scale batteries would be the quickest to roll out and 'costs at grid scale are just plummeting.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On geothermal, Zacharias said B.C. has a 'medium' potential for the method, which taps heat from underground to power steam turbines, and 'has been successfully used around the planet.' Wednesday's announcement also included a request for expressions of interest for ideas for energy efficiency, which would reduce electricity use. This component does include a target to reduce some 2,000 gigawatt-hours worth of electricity use, the equivalent of powering 200,000 homes, to free up power for potential new industrial users. Hydro CEO Chris O'Riley said the utility wants to talk with potential partners about new technologies that could expand its 'leading energy-efficiency programs.' 'We are looking beyond the near term and opening up exploration of the next chapter of B.C.'s energy future,' O'Riley said. depenner@ Read More
