The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today delivered keynote remarks at the U.S.–Canada Energy Summit in Chicago. The Minister emphasized the importance of our longstanding energy relationship with the United States and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to reaching additional markets to support energy security, environmental responsibility and the economy.

Minister Rickford highlighted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on enhanced energy cooperation with Dr. Ernest Moniz, U.S. Secretary of Energy, on September 18 in Ottawa. The signing reinforces a long and productive history of Canada–United States collaboration on a wide range of energy issues and shared interests, including:

• Sharing of knowledge, technical information and research plans to improve environmental practices in conventional and unconventional oil and gas development;
• Enhancing the reliability and security of infrastructure;
• Supporting the advancement of an efficient and clean electric grid;
• Enhancing coordination on energy efficiency; and,
• Collaborating to reduce the cost of carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Minister Rickford also reinforced that the Keystone XL pipeline remains a priority for Canada. The approval of Keystone XL will create jobs and economic growth on both sides of the border while increasing North American energy security. Keystone XL will displace heavy oil from Venezuela, which has the same or higher greenhouse gas emissions, with a stable and secure source of Canadian oil.

Earlier on Thursday, Minister Rickford also held a roundtable with U.S. energy stakeholders to discuss enhancing the Canada-U.S. energy relationship.

Quick Facts

• In 2013, Canada–U.S. energy trade was worth USD $140 billion.
• Canada is the world’s third-largest producer of hydroelectricity and, when adding other renewables and nuclear energy, 79 percent of the electricity we generate produces no greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Canada is a global leader in the generation of clean and renewable energy, with more than 64 percent of our total electricity generation coming from renewable energy – the highest in the G7.
• According to a study by the Canadian Energy Research Institute, Canada's oil sands could support nearly 170,000 jobs annually in the U.S. over the next 25 years — from software developers in Bothell, Washington, to manufacturing jobs in virtually every state in the union.
• Approximately 2,000 U.S. companies have contracts to supply goods and services to the oil sands.
• Canada and the United States share interconnected electricity grids and 70 operating oil and gas pipelines.
• The Government is taking action to lower emissions, while growing Canada’s economy. In 2012, emissions were 5.1 percent lower than 2005 levels, while the economy grew by 10.6 percent during the same period. Per-capita carbon emissions have fallen to their lowest level since tracking began in 1990.

Quotes

“Whether through our leadership in the G7 or our deeply integrated energy infrastructure network, Canada and the United States are secure and reliable sources of energy, technology and innovative expertise for North America and the world.”

“Canada and the U.S. are collaborating more closely on energy matters than ever before — from greater coordination on energy performance standards for consumer products to increasing the reliability and security of North American energy infrastructure.”

“In such an uncertain world, it is more important than ever that we continue to work together as partners, act together as friends and lead together as allies.”