Alberta’s diversified energy resources rank among the greatest economic treasures in the world. They include oil, natural gas, coal, hydro, wind and the feedstock for biofuels. New oilsands extraction technologies have resulted in Alberta now possessing the largest recoverable oil reserves on earth! Alberta is a major global hydrocarbon energy producer, fifth in the world behind only Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States and Iran.

With energy, capital, knowledge and technology, Alberta also has the potential to significantly expand into alternative energy sources. Behind the energy itself are numerous spin-off technologies; the myriad of products and services related to our energy industries that have already made Alberta a global leader for Research and Development, innovative equipment manufacturing and world-class support services.

With strong leadership, Alberta can lead the world in responsible, safe and reliable energy development.  Done thoughtfully, this will secure a dynamic and prosperous economy in Alberta for generations to come.

Unfortunately, we have not seen thoughtful leadership from the current government.  In fact, they have failed to show competent policy leadership in any aspect of energy development, management or stewardship. Examples include the disastrous royalty changes that drove tens of billions in investments and tens of thousands of jobs out of the province, and the mismanagement of the oilsands environmental file that has drawn global negative attention to Alberta.

Because oil and gas will remain the primary driver of our province’s economic engine and be the world’s major transportation fuels in the coming decades, an important balance must be struck between creating a fiscal and regulatory regime that encourages exploration and development and protection of the environment, while at the same time ensuring Albertans receive appropriate value for their resources.

PROTECT AND PROMOTE

  • Develop an aggressive, thought-provoking, and articulate communications strategy that promotes Alberta’s energy industry to Canada and the world
  • Encourage understanding and support while resisting efforts by other governments and authorities to hinder the growth of the industry through regulation
  • Diversify Alberta’s energy industry through strategic relations with governments in new markets, investment in corporate and academic research, development of a natural gas strategy, and initiatives to encourage the development of technologies that will improve the environment and the value of Alberta’s energy products

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

  • Work with the industry to develop strategies that will improve the environment by reducing water use, improving air quality, and accelerating the elimination and reclamation of tailing pond sites
  • Provide tax incentives to promote research and investment in the development of competitive technologies that will enhance recovery of conventional crude oil and natural gas, value-added sectors, and environmental protection

ELECTRICITY

  • Repeal Bill 50 and begin an impartial assessment by the Alberta Utilities Commission to determine the need for additional transmission lines
  • Encourage the transition from coal burning to natural gas for electricity generation
  • Reform the way in which electricity is purchased and sold in Alberta, specifically focusing on reducing price spikes for consumers and businesses
  • Reduce electricity demand by developing market based mechanisms that encourage efficiency and allow businesses and individual Albertans to sell locally-generated electricity from co-gen, wind, solar, biomass, etc. back to the grid