Latest news with #NathanNeudorf
Globe and Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Nation needs oil and gas infrastructure to boost energy security in Eastern Canada, says Hodgson
Canada's Natural Resources Minister says the country needs more infrastructure that can get oil and gas to the coast to open trade opportunities with overseas markets and shore up energy supplies in Eastern Canada. Tim Hodgson made the remarks at an event hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning, in the wake of a series of meetings with Western Canadian officials. That includes Alberta's Energy Minister Brian Jean and its Affordability and Utilities Minister, Nathan Neudorf, as well as Saskatchewan's Deputy Premier Jim Reiter. Calling himself a pragmatist and a businessman, Mr. Hodgson took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and broader trade war. 'We did not ask for this trade war. But we are going to win it,' he said. 'If we're going to sit across the table from him or anyone else, we need to hold Canada's best cards. That means being able to sell our products to the world. It means expanding our markets, modernizing our infrastructure, and creating the conditions to compete and win.' Canada will remain a reliable global supplier of oil and gas for decades to come, Mr. Hodgson said. 'The real challenge is not whether we produce, but whether we can get the best products to market before someone else does,' he said. 'It's high time to trade more with people who share our values – not just our border.' Mr. Hodgson pledged to work quickly with the provinces and territories, industry and Indigenous partners to diversify trade, and open and expand new markets for energy and natural resources. 'No more asking, 'Why build?' The real question is, 'How do we get it done?' That means breaking apart barriers and ripping down red tape,' he said. The first step will be to identify and fast-track projects of national interest which matter to the Canadian economy, the environment, and the country's sovereignty. Permitting decisions will be made in two years via a major federal projects office that will offer a single window for permits, he said. Although he emphasized the need for more oil and gas infrastructure, he did not mention pipelines during his speech, but called on the Pathways Alliance to hasten its plans to build a massive carbon capture project in the oil sands. 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. 'Your federal government has committed to certainty, to support, and to making Canada an energy superpower, but we need a partner who is also willing to make good on their promises to Canadians,' Mr. Hodgson said. 'We need to demonstrate to our customers outside the U.S., and to our fellow Canadians, that we are a responsible industry – and this government believes Pathways is critical to that reality.' He added that Ottawa intends to invest in carbon capture, methane reduction and other emissions-reduction technologies. A former investment banker, Mr. Hodgson was also on the board of oil sands company MEG Energy. One of Mr. Hodgson's first major deals at Goldman Sachs was for the Alliance Pipeline, which delivered natural gas from Western Canada to the Chicago market hub, helping to boost prices for the commodity. That was one of the deals, 'I am still the proudest of today,' he said. His experience with capital markets and the oil and gas sector – as well as his Western Canadian roots – have had industry voicing cautious optimism about energy policy under Ottawa's new government. 'I may live in Toronto right now, but I was born on the Prairies,' Mr. Hodgson said. 'I want you to understand that I will be a voice for Alberta and Western Canada at the Cabinet table.'
CBC
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Utilities minister says Alberta's grid doesn't discriminate against Montana power generators
Social Sharing Alberta's utilities minister says that, contrary to a new report, the province's electricity grid operator doesn't discriminate against U.S. power generators. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative listed Alberta's non-profit electrical grid operator as a trade irritant in a report this week, claiming Montana-based electricity producers aren't being afforded fair access to the Alberta market. The report, updated annually, claims the Alberta Electricity System Operator, or AESO, unfairly favours electricity generated within the province over equally priced U.S. energy during times of surplus grid power or congested transmission lines. "The AESO has also proposed additional fees and other restrictions on imported energy," the report reads. Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf told reporters Wednesday that those concerns have been a "long-standing issue" raised with his office, but he maintained that no jurisdiction is receiving preferential treatment. "We don't treat generators in the U.S. or any other jurisdiction any differently than generators within Alberta," he said. "Any decisions made by the AESO has to do with reliability of our grid, something that we've been undertaking at least for the last two years as we've seen a significant imbalance in the generation capacity within the province." Neudorf said the province is making sure Alberta lives up to its trade obligations but said it's possible AESO was named as a trade irritant because Alberta has imported less energy from Montana over the past two years while also increasing its electrical exports to the state over the same time period. Interconnectivity is key, minister says According to AESO's 2024 Annual Market Statistics report, Montana is still a net exporter of electricity to Alberta despite the reduced imports, which in 2024 were less than half of what Alberta acquired from the state in 2022. AESO's report also says Alberta imported more power in 2024 from Montana than it did from British Columbia or Saskatchewan, the other two jurisdictions connected to Alberta's grid. Neudorf said Wednesday that interconnectivity — including with Montana — is key to having a reliable electrical grid, which is a top priority for the government as it's tasked the AESO with completing an overhaul of the grid system. That overhaul is expected to be fully implemented in 2027. "It's a constant topic of conversation," Neudorf said of grid interconnectivity and the impending regulatory changes. "We are doing what's best for Alberta and what's best for our trade relationships with our neighbouring jurisdictions." Diane Kossman, a spokesperson for AESO, said in an email Wednesday that the operator encourages Montana-based generators to take part in the engagement work it's doing for the system overhaul. Kossman also said U.S. generators aren't currently being treated unfairly and Alberta is actively looking "to increase the amount [of power] that can be imported from both Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions, including expanding the services and infrastructure necessary to ensure that imports can flow reliably into the province." When asked if reducing Montana's overall stake in Alberta's electrical grid was something that should be considered amid the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S., Neudorf said he thought that would be a mistake. "Tariffs may come and go [and] governments come and go," he said. "We want to make sure we build a good, competitive market that serves the needs of Albertans. "If our government or our country is still faced with tariffs from the United States we can make those actions secondary to that, but I don't think it should be embedded within the system that we're developing and designing right now."
