Launching Alberta’s energy future

It’s a drum that Flow’s been beating since our very first post: energy is important to Canadians (376KB PDF) (even if they feel like their role in policy-making is limited. The hitch, of course, is that it’s not always easy to make it clear to Canadians just how important that energy is, and the result can lead to confusion and, often, downright hostility.

In Alberta, where the energy industry employs one in six people, energy education is especially important. That’s why a group of seven Alberta associations that includes the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the Alberta Enterprise Group recently launched their “Alberta is Energy” campaign, an initiative designed to raise “awareness about the important role the oil and gas industry plays in the lives of Albertans.” Announced at a luncheon in Calgary’s Hyatt Regency Hotel that drew hundreds of industry and governmental representatives, the “Alberta is Energy” campaign is largely in response to the Government of Alberta’s recent competitiveness review (2.7 MB PDF), which saw royalty rates for energy reduced in order to encourage investment.

At the centre of the initiative’s launch was an address by David Collyer, president of CAPP. Addressing the current state and likely future of the energy industry, Collyer’s speech included references to the changing (and increasing) patterns of energy consumption, the importance of responsible production, collaborative solutions and the importance of public communication, as underlined by the “Alberta is Energy” campaign itself.

Recognizing the growing demand for energy, both nationally and particularly globally, Collyer first argued for the oil and natural gas industry as a basis for long-term growth in the province.

“Contrary to the gambler archetype,” he said, “global capital does not want radical change.”

In terms of resources, Collyer’s speech separately addressed oil and natural gas in Western Canada, the natural gas industry and the oil sands. These energy sources, he said, would ultimately be part of an “ecclesiastical” mix of resources where “there is room for all fuels in the energy mix.” He went on to note that tax revenues declined in the aftermath of the provincial government’s previous royalty rate increase, and suggested that future growth would depend on encouraging investment, collaboration and awareness.

Two themes underlined Collyer’s speech: communication and improved production.  At the moment, examples of efforts to promote the energy industry’s record on responsibility include CAPP’s Stewardship of Excellence Awards and its Responsible Canadian Energy Program.

“Alberta is Energy” adds another layer to the campaign to communicate this responsibility, and relates most directly to the industry’s overall communication efforts. This includes both energy consumers and the regulators and industries most directly involved in planning the country’s energy future.

Collaboration was a related theme in the campaign’s launch, with Collyer citing the need for relationships between energy companies, the communities they operate in and the stakeholders who ultimately benefit (a major component of the campaign seen in its “Feature Stories”). Collyer’s speech made several references to the need to find middle ground, a position that is often elusive.

“On both sides,” he said, referring to the energy industry and environmental advocacy groups, “there is room for less talking and more listening.”

But if the launch event was intended to provoke a sense of energy, both literally and figuratively “energizing,” Collyer made it clear that the industry recognizes that its long-term survival and adaptation will not be instantaneous. While improved performance will ultimately provide a solid basis for the kind of public engagement that lets Canadians know how important their energy is, these two strategies will ultimately take time.

“This is a marathon,” said Collyer. “Not a sprint.”