There’s actually a striking amount of broad-based consensus around energy
A new artificial-intelligence-powered social media tool is showing that Canadians aren’t as polarized about energy policy and transition as we might imagine. Developed by University of Alberta engineering professor Lianne Lefsrud and an interdisciplinary team of researchers, Ai4Buzz uses targeted keywords to harvest, aggregate and examine Twitter conversations about energy and energy policies. Organized by category into a series…
Approving new fossil fuel projects is moral and economic madness
After approving the Bay du Nord offshore oil project off Newfoundland and Labrador in April, the Canadian government has decided to take our climate risk-taking to a whole new level by issuing a Call for Bids for oil exploration for an area one third larger than the size of New Brunswick. Bids to drill for…
Today’s guest is Dave Collyer (see his bio below). Dave reviews the frustrations of the industry and its current challenges. He advances the importance of frank dialogue, collaboration, and Net-Zero as an economic challenge. He considers the diversity of potential solutions and the need to simultaneously sustain Canada’s economy while also pursuing Net-Zero. Finally, he…
21,000 jobs, $890 million in taxes and about $2.5 billion in annual GDP
There’s been a big step forward for a major proposed Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that’s seen as an opportunity for economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities and help to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Partners in the Ksi Lisims LNG project, including the Nisga’a Nation, have applied for a 40-year LNG export licence and…
Despite the sanctions, Russian oil revenues are soaring
The energy pieces on the global chessboard are altering geopolitical realities, with serious consequences. China is boosting the volume of crude oil it purchases in order to increase its strategic reserves, Reuters’ Clyde Russell reported on Friday. China, the world’s largest crude importer, is buying more oil at a point when the demand-supply balance is…
Oil sands companies spent a record $2.4 billion with 275 Indigenous businesses in 2019
Canadian oil sands producer Imperial Oil says it has signed two of its largest-ever contracts with Indigenous businesses. Two joint ventures – one with the Fort McKay First Nation and another with the Mikisew Cree First Nation – will provide Imperial large-scale earthwork, land reclamation, and mining support services at its Kearl oil sands mine…
There are 2,449 coal-fired plants operating worldwide, 189 under construction and 292 planned
Coal use around the world is rising in what the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) calls “a sobering reality check” for targets to reduce emissions. Against that backdrop, global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is soaring, in part because it can help displace coal power and reduce emissions by half – or…
Today's guest is Eddie Isaacs (see his bio below). Eddie provides a background on the contribution of crude oil to Canada’s economy and innovations for achieving Net-Zero. The series was produced by KEI Network for Troy Media. We welcome your comments below. Bios of today’s moderator and guest: James Carter James Carter retired from…
Canadian LNG exports are expected to replace coal power, primarily for growing markets in Asia
In the world’s race for cleaner energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada has an advantage. To start with, it comes with a smaller footprint – the lowest emissions intensity of LNG projects in the world. But why? Canada leads among countries able to export natural gas to displace coal,…
But what happens when disinformation campaigns run headlong into reality?
I’m not a fan of making predictions because there are usually way too many variables at play. Trying to guess the price of oil leaves me speechless despite the pathetically large number of hours I spend trying to understand the market. Yet, given the way 2022 is unfolding, I offer the following predictions as more…
A climate catastrophe seems in the making. And mitigating the impact of the Ukraine crisis won’t be easy
The Paris-based International Energy Agency is widely viewed with respect, its analyses providing a better understanding of the direction of energy markets and the issues impacting the industry. IEA is the energy watchdog of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), founded by the likes of Henry Kissinger in the immediate aftermath of the…
Could become a new large-scale industry for Canada while reducing our environmental footprint
Canada’s largest oil sands producers are “in full-scale development mode” on a major joint project designed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and propel the sector down the path to net-zero. The companies have planned one of the world's largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. It’s a key piece of what could become a…
The potential cost is hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties that must be paid
Two weeks after Bay du Nord received environmental approval, the Canadian and Newfoundland and Labrador governments were arguing about who would foot the bill. The project promoted as the answer to Newfoundland and Labrador’s economic woes could end up costing hundreds of millions in revenue. Some backstory: according to the United Nations Convention on the…
Today's guest is Capital Power’s Kate Chisholm, who maintains that we need to come to terms with the fact that the goal of powering the world with 100 per cent renewables is an impossible pipe dream. The series was produced by KEI Network for Troy Media. We welcome your comments below. Bios of today’s…
The cost of zinc-air batteries is one of the biggest hurdles to making them viable
Batteries do the heavy lifting to store excess solar energy on power grids for use after sundown, but to operate, they also rely on pricey elements like platinum. University of Alberta researcher Matthew Labbe would rather leave the precious metals to the jewellers by using cheaper materials to tweak a disposable battery commonly used in…
A new artificial-intelligence-powered social media tool is showing that Canadians aren’t as polarized about energy policy and transition as we might imagine. Developed by University of Alberta engineering professor Lianne Lefsrud and an interdisciplinary team of researchers, Ai4Buzz uses targeted keywords to harvest, aggregate and examine Twitter conversations about energy and energy policies. Organized by category into a series…
