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.
Greg Rickford
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources
Chris McCluskey
Director of Communications
Office of Canada's Minister of
Natural Resources
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