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The three provincial energy ministers in Texas this week are looking to get some attention on the world stage and drum up investment to grow the industry at home.
The ministers may have the same goals, but each has a very different focus on the types of energy that are at the center of attention when they are at CERAWeek, the global energy conference.
This is the first time Quebec has been at the summit.
“We are looking for investments, we are looking for partners and we are also here to show people that Quebec is open for business, that we are looking for investments, we are looking for partners and we are also here to show people that Quebec is open for business, that we want to see projects that are going to help us move the needle on climate change, but also help Quebecers make a little money,” said Quebec Deputy Minister for the Economy Christopher Skeete, who is also responsible for energy.
The province is known as a powerhouse of hydroelectric power, but Skeete was in Houston to highlight Quebec’s potential as a source of critical minerals.
“We’re rich in nickel, we’re rich in lithium,” Skeete said in an interview with CBC News on the sidelines of the event. “The potential is huge. The opportunity is huge. And we have a responsibility here.”
This week’s event in Houston has drawn more than 7,500 political leaders, industry executives and others from 80 countries.
“There’s a lot going on in the energy space,” Ontario energy minister Todd Smith said.
“Ontario is leading the way in small modular reactors, not just in North America but around the world. This is a great opportunity to show the technology we have.”
Last fall, the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, a federal Crown corporation, struck a deal with Ontario Power Generation to provide nearly $1 billion to build the country’s first small modular reactor.
Meanwhile, Alberta is focusing on traditional oil and gas sectors and clean technology industries. The province also sponsored the conference.
“The discussions ranged from oil and gas to transition renewables, carbon capture, [and] hydrogen, so it’s different,” said Peter Guthrie, Alberta’s energy minister.
Currently, there are several new carbon capture and storage projects proposed in Alberta to help reduce the amount of pollution from the industrial sector that is released into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.
There is a uniquely Canadian story, said Kevin Birn, vice president with S&P Global Commodity Insights.
“Canada has a huge amount of energy endowment from hydro to critical mineral infrastructure to oil and gas and it varies across regions. Telling the story is important to help people understand and have an interest in investing in Canada,” he said.
The three provincial energy ministers said they are working together to promote Canada as a safe and reliable place to do business.
Still, they compete for investment dollars not only with each other but with other jurisdictions around the world.
The United States has received a lot of attention after introducing the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes massive subsidies and other financial incentives worth tens of billions of dollars to develop low-carbon energy sources.
“If you put everything together, you will see that the Biden-Harris administration has made the United States the most attractive investment landscape for new energy and decarbonization technologies. In many cases, in fact, in many cases, it has made the United States impossible rejected,” US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told the audience on Wednesday.
There is no political representative from the federal government this year, which is absent because the minister of natural resources is usually the speaker. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself gave the keynote speech.
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