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Minister touts Alberta oil in light of Middle East tensions
News Articles Featured | Edmonton Sun | March 03, 2011
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SHERWOOD PARK – Tensions in the Middle East are making Albertan oil look better, Sherwood Park MLA Iris Evans said.
Evans, the minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, told the News following a mission in Washington, D.C.
During the three-day trip, which took place during the National Governors' Association Winter Meeting, Evans met with the Alberta Washington Office, governors, representative from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Canada's Ambassador to the U.S.
"We are finding lots of support for getting on with the Keystone pipeline. Our meetings with governors from Texas, Montana, Kansas, Michigan and Maine were very productive," Evans said in an e-mail to the Sherwood Park News.
"The themes various presenters at the sessions focused on included productivity and competitiveness, coping with higher energy costs, biodiversity and agriculture. With the rising political tensions in the Middle East and corresponding higher fuel prices, our supply of oil looks better and better."
She said the Texas governor is planning a meeting and suggested Albertan representatives attend.
"One sensitivity in the U.S. is the keen interest by Asia to invest in our energy sources. China as well as other Asian partners are diversifying their energy investments and recent conflicts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have been noted by everyone," Evans said.
Evans added the U.S. is also an importer of products to the oil sands.
"Although they import from us, they are selling goods and services as well," Evans said. "We are a very important customer as well."
She added the industrial output of the U.S. is expected to be $61.7 billion between 2010-2025.
The cost of Evans' trip was $4,650.
Tagged with: alberta, canada, iris evans
