Premiers reach deal on national energy strategy

The meeting up Canada’s Premiers wrapped up in St. John’s, Newfoundland an energy strategy has been established. “The only way to do that is to get to yes on development of all kinds”.

It was a meeting of unusual disconnects.

But today, Wall says the premiers had some “pretty frank discussions” that led to his marked shift in tone.

“We need to do better to prevent future accidents like this”. The deal will list principles, and won’t help companies build pipelines any faster or provide firm new climate targets, the officials said. “We have two hydro facilities that we don’t have enough water to generate hydro electricity, so we have to burn diesel”, McLeod commented.

Debbie Forward, president of the Registered Nurses Union of Newfoundland and Labrador, said the federal government is not paying its fair share for health care.

Gallant said he would be disappointed if a national energy strategy is not reached this week, but said projects such as Energy East can still go ahead without it.

Nor was that the only disconnect at the meeting.

The Environmental Defence group said July 17’s plan marked “a big step backwards” by lending support to pipelines and weakening language on climate change.

The strategy comes after Premier Brad Wall of Saskatchewan originally criticized some of his colleagues for failing to highlight the importance of the oil and gas industries to the economy.

They also want the provinces to make clean energy infrastructure a higher priority than new oil and gas proposals. “Apparently their Premiers agree”, she added. It funds social programs.

“We’re going to work to have a Canadian Energy Strategy in place very soon”, Wynne told reporters in Toronto last week.

If the premiers were self-congratulatory about the document, response from the environmental community was less than enthusiastic.

Robert Skinner, an executive fellow at the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary who worked on and studied energy strategies for decades, said it’s not surprising it falls short.

The strategy was announced as Nexen Energy apologized for a five-million litre pipeline spill of bitumen, produced water and sand southeast of Fort McMurray, Alta.

Discussions on the strategy will continue during this week’s meeting, said Naline Rampersad, a spokeswoman for Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, one of four co-chairs developing the plan. “There are plenty of ways premiers can achieve this”, she commented.

Wynne said she understands the value of the energy sector, but added “we’re running out of time” to deal with climate change. We need numbers on the table in terms of carbon pollution decreases.

“By working together, we can all reduce the price of prescription drugs across Canada”, the statement says.

Canada’s provincial premiers have reached an agreement on a national strategy created to support the country’s energy industry.

In the end, Wall got what he wanted, as the strategy explicitly calls for Canada to expand its oil exports and pipeline developments.