LAC LA BICHE - Northern Alberta has endless economic opportunities and potential that must be taken advantage of, says Brian Jean, MLA for Ft. McMurray-Lac La Biche.
Jean, who currently serves as Alberta’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, addressed an audience of community members and business owners gathered for an intimate luncheon organized by the Lac La Biche and District Chamber of Commerce on Friday at Lac La Biche’s Royal Canadian Legion. Lac La Biche County Mayor Paul Reutov was also at the event.
As the region’s provincial political representative, Jean attended the meet-and-greet luncheon to share economic development topics taking place not only in the Lac La Biche region, but throughout the entire province, with the energy industry being the focus.
“Alberta has some of the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and these reserves, which are owned by the people, bring in $60 billion a year in GDP for the Canadian economy,” he said. “In turn, this equates to three percent of Canada’s total GDP.”
As MLA for the region, and Energy Minister for the province, Jean said he is committed to ensuring the industry continues to be successful.
“The provincial government will continue to work with oil companies to build communities and make sure that the money from projects stays in those communities,” he said. “In addition to keeping wealth in Alberta, we need to share the energy industry’s success with the people who helped build it. Strengthening the oil and gas industry is good news for everyone, whether they are from Lac La Biche or Fort McMurray.”
While there was no specific discussion about wind, solar or other renewable resource projects that have been halted by provincial leaders as they determine policies and effects of those projects on the Alberta energy pool, some of the conversation did touch on environmental issues. Methane and emission reduction targets and carbon capture were part of the conversation during the 90-minute event.
Jean said while many people are skeptical about net zero targets, there will be many economic opportunities in the years ahead, including carbon capture projects.
“We have a serious competitive advantage in Alberta that cannot be missed,” he said to the attendees. “There are several carbon capture storage facilities here in the province. Countries such as South Korea, Japan and the Philippines are considering shipping their carbon to Canada and putting it into the ground. There are so many opportunities right now. Your government is not wasting your money. We are trying to invest in initiatives that mean jobs for the future and better quality of life for you.”
Jean continued by saying that reducing emission levels — although it’s a topic that can polarize some conversations — is a global initiative that is just another aspect of doing business in a growing industry.
“I recently met with Pathways Alliance, which is comprised of Canada’s largest oilsands companies. These companies realize that if they want to sell their oil, they must comply with regulations that the rest of the world is complying with, and that’s the Paris Agreement,” he said.
When asked about diversifying economies to prepare for future changes in the energy industry and the finite supply of some resources, Mayor Reutov said alternatives are always a good idea. They not only lighten the energy burden, but also provide more jobs and more diverse investment to communities like Lac La Biche County.
“Although the energy industry is strong now, that may not always be the case,” Reutov said. “Once the goose is cooked, it’s done. Therefore ... like it or not ... we need to diversify now before it’s too late.”
Bills, bills, bills
With the province’s Energy boss in the room, some in attendance suggested ideas to help lower business and residential power bills that have soared in recent years. One of the attendees suggested that the minister look at going back to using coal plants as a possible solution for cheaper energy.
That would be a step backward, said Jean, who welcomed all comments from residents on the issue of rising energy costs … and didn’t completely rule out some sort of coal-based solution in the future.
“The Alberta government has already converted coal plants into natural gas facilities and turning them back would cause coal to be expensive again,” he said, adding that while the province currently burns natural gas, there are opportunities for coal mining in the future. “While there are many pristine places in Alberta that should be left untouched, there are other options, including mining underground that make it reasonable to do, especially here in Alberta. It’s something that we must have a serious look at.”
Carbon-capture guest speaker
Jean is expected to attend similar meetings — focusing on local and provincial issues — with community members in the coming months. Appointed by Premier Danielle Smith as the Energy minister in June, Jean has already attended community sessions with residents from across the province on resource industry issues.
Just days after his Lac La Biche presentation, Jean is billed as a guest speaker at the Carbon Capture Canada conference. That event is slated for Sept. 12-14 in Edmonton.
