Alberta Pipeline Strategy Based on Outdated Assumptions

The Alberta government's pipeline strategy has come under scrutiny by Cremona resident Michael Kerfoot in a letter to the editor. He argues that the economic foundation of this plan is built on outdated assumptions.

Kerfoot points out that the Transmountain Pipeline Corp., which gifted the previous $34B pipeline, is partnering with the Petroleum Marketing Commission, also known as the Alberta taxpayer-funded pipeline cheerleader. However, Kerfoot questions whether they have thought through the details of this relationship.

The pipeline's delivery terminus would be at Robert Banks, next to a coal loading and container terminal governed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which has banned bulk liquid transfers since 1979 due to environmental concerns. Additionally, adjacent indigenous landowners may have questions about running a pipe through their territory with such disregard.

Kerfoot notes that oil buyers in SE Asia are not as eager for Alberta's oil as they once were. China, which drove global oil demand for the past three decades, is now shifting towards renewable energy sources, building solar and wind farms, high-speed electric trains, and electrifying heavy trucks.

South Korea has also expanded its renewable capacity three-fold by 2030 to reduce oil imports, while Indonesia and Vietnam have set ambitious solar targets to reduce their reliance on oil. Saudi Arabia is even initiating a massive solar program to consume less of their own oil for export.