As the world embarks on re-piping and re-wiring energy systems in the pursuit of decarbonization, the plan should be to make the future energy infrastructure more secure than the past. This week on the podcast, Jackie and Peter review several energy security learnings from history. In the pursuit of the best economics, often energy security is ignored.  These vulnerabilities create problems later on. One example is the current situation with Enbridge Line 5, where the state of Michigan is trying to stop the pipe from operating. Other examples include the Texas Power outage, the cyber attack on the Colonial pipeline, and Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas.Next we deliberate about the future,  discussing Peter’s recent commentary “Suggestions for a More Energy Secure Future.”Other reading referenced in the podcast from Energyphile.org: The “Long Way Round” is a story about how Eastern Canada had to rely on Canadian oil shipped from the west and around the continent during the 1970s Oil Embargo.  Use this link to hear the audio file and read the story. A vignette with a historical utility bill, the back of it exemplifies what people demand of their energy “Cheapest, Safest, Cleanest, Quickest.”Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

Canadian oil sands companies are typically rivals, but now they have announced a collective project for achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Producers that account for 90% of oil sands production - Canadian Natural Resources, Cenovus Energy, Imperial, MEG Energy and Suncor Energy - have announced the “Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero” initiative.This week, our guests –  Rhona DelFrari, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice-President, Stakeholder Engagement at Cenovus and Pam McIntyre, Senior Vice-President, Safety, Risk Management and Innovation and Canadian Natural Resources - join the podcast. Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie asked our guests: Explain the carbon capture system you envision, that spans a big geographical area from Fort McMurray to Cold Lake? Beyond CCUS, what other technology pathways are included? What are the cost expectations for the initiative?  Who will pay?  How does net zero oil sands benefit the Canadian economy?Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

Solar is starting to shine in Canada. Five utility scale solar projects have been announced in Alberta so far this year. Residential solar should benefit from newly announced federal government incentives.This week Nicholas Gall, the Director of Distributed Energy Resources at the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) joins the podcast. Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie asked Nicholas:  What is the size of the solar market  in Canada now? Why is Alberta getting all of these new solar projects?  Why not other provinces?  How will future costs and technology evolve? What are the federal government’s incentives for residential solar? And, finally, should Peter install solar panels on his roof?See the IEA report: “National Survey Report of PV Power Applications in Canada (2019)” jointly authored by Natural Resources Canada, CanmetEnergy and CanREA.To learn more about CanREA visit their website: https://renewablesassociation.ca/Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

This past week, Shell, Exxon and Chevron were all in the headlines as these three supermajors are being pushed, in the boardroom and courtroom, to transition more quickly towards a low carbon future. Adding to the pressure, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released their much-anticipated Net Zero 2050 Scenario, stating that no new oil and gas fields beyond those committed in 2021 are needed.On this week’s podcast, we review the IEA Net Zero 2050 Scenario. How fast does oil and gas production need to decline? Is the Canadian oil industry compliant with “no new oil and gas fields”? What is the growth of clean energy in this scenario? What has been the reaction?Download the IEA Report at https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

Canada is a global leader in Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), with four large-scale operating  projects. However, compared to the United States, new investment in Canada is not keeping pace. This week our guest is Beth (Hardy) Valiaho, Vice President, Strategy & Stakeholder Relations at the International CCS Knowledge Centre. Beth tells us about the state of CCUS in Canada and our competitive position. Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie asked her: How are carbon dioxide emissions captured and stored? Is CCUS economic? What are the new Canadian policies that are supportive of CCUS, including the Clean Fuel Standard (CFS), the $170/tonne carbon tax and the proposed Canadian tax credit? How do we compare to the United States with respect to policy?To learn more about the International CCS Knowledge Centre, visit their website: https://ccsknowledge.com/Provide feedback on future policy by taking the CCS Knowledge Centre’s survey: https://ccsknowledge.com/news/canadas-budget-2021-carbon-capture-and-storageRead the CCS Knowledge Centre’s recent report on incenting large scale CCS in Canada: https://ccsknowledge.com/initiatives/incentivizing-large-scale-ccsPlease review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

The Canadian Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) will come into force next year with the objective of lowering the carbon intensity of fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. This week David Schick, Western Canadian Vice President from the Canadian Fuels Association joins the podcast to talk about the future, including learnings from British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that has been in place for a decade.Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie asked David: Has BC’s LCFS reduced the GHG intensity of gasoline and diesel? Has the policy increased BC’s reliance on low carbon fuel imports, or has it created new investment in domestic production capacity? How will Canadian fuels change by 2050? What are Canada’s inherent advantages for establishing a domestic low carbon fuels industry?To learn more about the Canadian Fuels Association, visit: https://www.canadianfuels.ca/Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/

Housing prices in Canada are heating up again, and so are carbon taxes. In a price war, home energy efficiency may not be top-of-mind for buyers, but with rising carbon taxes maybe it should be.This week Jackie and Peter talk energy efficiency, including: How important is energy efficiency for achieving a low carbon future? What are the government incentives for energy efficiency?  Will higher carbon taxes reduce the historic barriers for investing in energy efficiency? What is a heat pump?  Are new business opportunities emerging for deploying efficiency?See Peter’s recent commentary “Location, Location, Inefficiency.”Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ 

In the past week, Canada and the United States committed to more ambitious GHG emission reduction targets, the Canadian government announced a historic budget, and the Bank of Canada provided an economic outlook. This week, John Stackhouse, Senior Vice President, Office of the RBC CEO, joined the podcast to discuss the recent announcements. Here are some of the questions Peter and Jackie asked John:  What is RBC’s outlook for the Canadian economy? What is your reaction to the Canadian budget?   Should Canadians be concerned by the federal debt and the potential for inflation? What is your outlook for Canadian oil and gas considering these aggressive GHG emission reduction goals? How will all these reductions be financed? How is ESG being used in corporate lending decisions? What is the definition of green finance, are reductions in oil and gas emissions included?Check out John Stackhouse’s recent book “Planet Canada: How Our Expats are Shaping the Future”Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/  

President Biden’s climate plans are starting to come into focus. The Whitehouse released “The American Jobs Plan” a few weeks ago, which included about $1 trillion of spending for clean energy and climate initiatives. The Whitehouse is also hosting a virtual Climate Summit this week with dozens of world leaders, and the United States is expected to announce an ambitious emissions reduction target for 2030.This week, our guest is Samantha Gross, Director of Energy Security and Climate Initiatives at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Here are some of the questions Jackie and Peter asked: What is the significance of this week’s Whitehouse Climate Summit? What are the top areas of clean energy spending in President Biden’s “American Jobs Plan”? What other policies may still be forthcoming – carbon tax, clean fuel standards, border adjustment taxes?  What should the US oil and gas industry expect?To connect with Samantha Gross at the Brooking Institution, and to read her recent blogs and research, visit:  https://www.brookings.edu/experts/samantha-gross/Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/  

This week Jackie and Peter take on listener EV questions and comments. Here are some of the questions they tackled: Are EVs impacting oil demand and markets? Is degrading battery life a risk of EV ownership? How much range is lost due to cold weather? How do the economics of leasing vs buying compare? What about people without the luxury of a garage with adequate electrical capacity? And, if the energy for manufacturing the cars is factored in, are EVs still the lower GHG emissions option?Link to the IEA study that compares lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions over ten year lifetime, comparing EVs to ICE, as well as other technologies.Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/