Message from the Minister of Energy

The Provincial Energy Strategy is a comprehensive plan for Alberta’s energy future and it supports our government’s priority of ensuring that our energy resources are developed in an environmentally sustainable way.

In our vision for our energy future, Alberta will remain a global leader, recognized as a responsible world-class energy supplier, an energy technology champion, a sophisticated energy consumer, and a solid global environmental citizen. To realize this vision we must act now to achieve the strategic outcomes outlined in this strategy of clean energy production, wise energy use, and sustained economic prosperity.

Clean energy production will be achieved through the application of energy technology leadership such as our government’s investment in development and implementation of gasification technology and carbon capture and storage. In a world counting on energy from all sources, Alberta’s advantage lies in being able to produce and consume fossil fuels in a far cleaner way, but our commitment extends to the increasing role of alternative and renewable energy.

Wise energy use will mean Albertans will not only be the champions of energy production, but also set the standard in its consumption. To achieve this we must integrate the “demand side” in our thinking, which is why we are taking energy conservation and energy efficiency measures.

Sustained economic prosperity will be built on optimizing recovery of our resources, broadening energy markets, developing and exporting our energy “know-how,” and going farther along the “value-added” chain with our energy commodities. Actions we have taken to meet this objective include seeking the development of a world-class hydrocarbon processing cluster in Alberta and accepting the royalty share of bitumen production in kind in lieu of cash.

Alberta is blessed with abundant energy resources that play an essential role in the living standards and prosperity of Albertans. We must build on our success with the continued development of our energy resources in ways that are integrated and environmentally sound.

The Provincial Energy Strategy builds on our provinces strengths, addresses the challenges we face, and charts a strategic path forward to a bright energy future for Alberta.

Sincerely,

Honourable Mel Knight
Minister of Energy