14
THe HILL TIMeS, MONDAy, SePTeMBer 28, 2015
ElEction 2015
ENErgy
Pathway to rebuild the
Canadian economy
Canada can continue
to contribute to the
sustained global demand
for hydrocarbon and
petrochemical products
and simultaneously make
major reductions in North
Americas greenhouse
gas emissions through
expanded trade in lowcarbon electricity.
By WALTER f. PETRySCHuK AND
CLEMENT W. BOWMAN
he three parties seeking to become
the Government of Canada have differing views about rebuilding the faltering Canadian economy. One proposes to
stay the course and allow the economy
to develop in concert with the hopedfor global renewal; another proposes
to expand our economy through new
infrastructure; and the third seeks to
re-energize specific components of our
beloved social programs.
yet, there is a clear pathway forward
that follows the trajectory of how Canada
was built in the first place, big projects
based on our natural resources, nonrenewable and renewable. There is a
danger that our major non-renewable
Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, NDP Leader
Tom Mulcair, Liberal
Leader Justin Trudeau,
Green Party Leader
Elizabeth May, and Bloc
Qubcois Leader Gilles
Duceppe. The Hill Times
photographs by Jake Wright
resource, the Alberta oilsands, will be
stranded because of greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. But, that need not
be. Canadas renewable hydroelectric
power provides a clear-cut offset to
enable Canada to meets its anticipated
commitments at the upcoming United
Nations Climate Change Conference in
December.
Canada has a unique opportunity to
make the case that our carbon emission
record should be based on our entire
energy system, not dissected and subjected
to international controls on a sector-bysector basis. The drivers of significance
in our energy system are hydrocarbons
and electricity. Canadas present failure to
develop an effective and understandable
energy strategy leaves the door open for
a contingent of international and national
decision makers whose overall goal is shutting down oil sands development.
It is very encouraging that at its July
2015 meeting in St. Johns, Nfld., Canadas
Council of the Federation (premiers and
territorial leaders) made a big step forward in connecting these two fundamentals in Canadas energy system. Based on
their Canadian energy Strategy (CeS),
Canada can continue to contribute to the
sustained global demand for hydrocarbon
and petrochemical products and simultaneously make major reductions in North
Americas greenhouse gas emissions
through expanded trade in low- carbon
electricity.
Canada can take two actions to dramatically expand its economy and meet greenhouse gas emission targets, as follows:
refine a significant portion of bitumen
from the oil sands to fuels and petrochemicals in Canada at refining sites across
Canada, rather than exporting it for the
economic benefit of other countries. The
belief that this is not viable in Canada
is expressed by supporters of the status
quo and does not stand up to strategic
economic assessment. An immediate
opportunity would be to build the proposed Sarnia/Lambton Advanced Bitumen
energy refinery (SABer) project. The
advantages of a Sarnia/Lambton location
include an existing pipeline from Alberta
to Sarnia, access to international markets
via the St. Lawrence Seaway, serviced
industrially zoned land, a commitment to
build a leading edge plant that is energy
and GHG efficient, and a community that
has been supportive of Canadas premier
chemical valley for over a hundred years.
A recent economic evaluation has indicated that, based on value-added margins
of at least $45 per BBL, this project would
have avoided shipping at least $12-billion
of value added to the U.S. in the second
quarter of 2015.
Begin to build a national power grid,
on an evolutionary basis, with regional
hubs to export low-carbon electricity to
the U.S., catalyzing a major build of hydroelectric power plants across the country. This would result in a huge additional
economic activity and a major reduction
in North Americas greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. President Barack Obamas
recent emphasis on reductions by shifting
from coal-fired electrical power generation to renewable energy opens up a huge
opportunity for international trade in lowcarbon electricity. The provinces, having
jurisdiction over the generation and transmission of electrical power, are in a strong
position to lead this next major step in
nation building. The offset from low-carbon electricity should immeasurably help
achieve Canadas global environmental
commitments.
Additionally, policies to encourage
fabrication and manufacturing support for
these two big projects would reenergize
Canadas stagnant manufacturing industry.
Hydrocarbons, responsibly developed,
and electricity, produced from our abundant water reservoirs of clean energy, can
be the pillars to support a growing economy and an enhancement of our social
programs for the balance of this century.
If not these two resources, then upon what
will our economy be built in the coming
decades?
Walter F. Petryschuk is a former Suncor Sarnia Site Director and Clement W.
Bowman is chair of the Bowman Centre,
Sarnia/Lambton Research Park.
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