The RMWB played host to a special guest early in the week.
Democratic Senator of West Virginia Joe Manchin, Chairman of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, was in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo to tour the oil sands.
“I was honored to visit Alberta, Canada, with Premier Jason Kenney to discuss the importance of strengthening North America’s collective energy security,” said Manchin.
Great to be in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo to show US Senate Energy Committee Chairman @Sen_JoeManchin the source of most of the USA’s oil imports.
An important part of the effort to build a North American energy alliance. pic.twitter.com/XKpvOkjyMv
— Jason Kenney
(@jkenney) April 11, 2022
“Canada, like the United States, is blessed with abundant natural resources that can be used to eliminate our dependence on Russian and Chinese energy and critical mineral supply chains.”
Manchin went on to say a strong North American Energy Alliance can fuel worldwide economic development and allow them to meet their shared climate goals while significantly reducing Russia and China’s unwarranted influence on the global community.
Kenney added that according to the International Energy Agency, demand for stable energy is rising fast and will continue to do so, and the United States is projected to face a shortfall of 50 million barrels per day by the end of the decade.
“Alberta has the third-largest proven oil reserves in the world and produces more than four million barrels of crude oil and equivalent per day,” said Kenney.
“The majority of this energy is sent straight to the United States. With expanded infrastructure, we could increase this supply and displace imports from countries led by dictators, like Russia and Venezuela.”
Kenney says Alberta has reduced oil sands emission intensity by 22 per cent over the past decade and the province’s oil sands producers have committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050.
“Alberta’s responsible energy is the long-term solution for North American energy security. We are ready and willing to work with the U.S. to build the infrastructure needed to help meet its long-term energy demands,” stated Kenney.
NDP Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley stated in a press release that the UCP’s entire energy strategy has been a failure.
“The War Room and the Allan Inquiry failed to deliver any value despite burning millions of Alberta taxpayers’ dollars. They have also failed to start construction on a single pipeline. Instead, they gambled away $1.3 billion on Keystone XL.”
Ganley says that the UCP photo op with the senator changes nothing.
“It did nothing to expand market access or get Albertans back to work. The UCP continues to fail Albertans on energy and can’t be trusted to manage the resources we all own.”
Manchin and Kenney have agreed to continue their dialogue with an Alberta delegation visiting Washington in the near future.
