Energy sector CEOs call on Ottawa to use emergency powers to speed up key projects

Lauren Krugel · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 3:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A radical of vigor assemblage main executives is calling connected the leaders of four national governmental parties to state a Canadian vigor situation and usage exigency powers to assistance velocity the improvement of cardinal projects successful the "national interest."

In an unfastened missive to the governmental leaders published Wednesday, the CEOs of 10 of the largest lipid and earthy state companies and the 4 largest pipeline companies outlined their program to fortify Canadian economical sovereignty.

The executives called for a simplification of regulations and a committedness to firm, six-month deadlines for task approvals.

They besides privation an elimination of the national government's headdress connected emissions, the repeal of the national c levy connected ample emitters and indebtedness guarantees to assistance Indigenous co-investment opportunities.

"We are astatine a turning constituent successful Canada's past and nationalist interest," the firm leaders wrote to the Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Bloc Québécois leaders arsenic an predetermination telephone looms.

"There is expanding nationalist enactment to urgently turn our vigor assemblage and physique vigor infrastructure, including caller lipid and earthy state pipelines and LNG (liquefied earthy gas) terminals, to grow Canada's vigor exports."

The missive comes arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump threatens Canadian sovereignty and proposes monolithic tariffs connected Canadian goods, including a 10 per cent levy connected lipid and earthy gas. The Trump medication besides aims to boost U.S. vigor production, making it an progressively formidable competitor.

"These are not mean times," said Adam Waterous, enforcement president astatine Strathcona Resources Ltd., which produces lipid and state crossed Western Canada.

"Three months ago, we didn't person the aforesaid Canadian statement to urgently physique these projects."

Waterous, besides CEO of Waterous Energy Fund, said helium and different manufacture leaders person been deluged with inquiries from politicians, investors and the nationalist astir what tin beryllium done to boost Canada's vigor sovereignty.

The letter, helium said, is "essentially a how-to guide" for determination makers successful Ottawa.

François Poirier, main enforcement astatine pipeline and powerfulness elephantine TC Energy Corp., agreed the nationalist temper is shifting.

"I deliberation there's been an awakening and much equilibrium successful the speech astir affordability, reliability and sustainability," helium said.

"Geopolitical tensions, arsenic good arsenic immoderate of the commercialized discussions that are ongoing betwixt the United States and each of its counterparties are helping unite Canadians and helping Canadians recognize the value of diversifying its markets."

Poirier said that 15 years ago, the LNG manufacture successful Canada and the U.S. was conscionable starting out. But now, Canada is just astir to committee its archetypal installation connected the West Coast, portion the U.S. is the world's largest earthy state exporter.

"Fortunately for Canada, due to the fact that of developments geopolitically, information centre request for earthy gas, the accidental has travel backmost astir to us," helium said.

Janetta McKenzie, lipid and state programme manager astatine the Pembina Institute cleanable vigor think-tank, said the executives' missive is based connected the premise that "doubling down connected lipid and state is the happening that tin conscionable this moment."

She said it doesn't admit that trading partners similar the European Union and United Kingdom person placed emissions standards connected their lipid and state imports. She added lipid and state request is apt to highest successful the 2030s.

"This infinitesimal perfectly calls for decisive action, but we request to beryllium strategical and liable astir which projects and industries are developed," she said.

In the G20, lone 3 countries don't person a nationalist terms connected carbon — the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia, McKenzie said.

"Do we privation to travel the United States successful a contention to the bottommost erstwhile it comes to biology and clime regulation?"

Waterous said it should beryllium up to provinces to enactment retired their ain carbon-reduction policies.

In the letter, the executives said "all plausible planetary outlooks forecast lipid and earthy state remaining among the world's largest sources of vigor for decades to come."

Poirier added that LNG exports from Canada person the imaginable to displace much carbon-intensive ember powerfulness elsewhere successful the globe.

"This is not astir relaxing our sustainability goals successful the involvement of economical prosperity," helium said. "They're really symbiotic objectives."