Author: Michael Cleland
On February 15, 2011, The Canada West Foundation launched a website entitled, Let’s Talk Energy that was designed to inform the discussion of whether Canada needs an energy strategy, and if so, why and what ideas should inform such a strategy.
Let’s Talk Energy was an initiative under the Powering Up for the Future project by the Canada West Foundation. Phase One consisted of a series of short articles that will be posted weekly, beginning February 15, 2011, authored by Nexen Executive-in-Residence, Michael Cleland. Each article proposed a set of ideas to help shape a Canadian energy strategy. Phase Two featured articles written by contributors from the energy industry to further explore challenges and ideas to inform a Canadian energy strategy.
The purpose was to contribute to debate for energy ministers when they met in Kananaskis in July 2011. The Let’s Talk Energy blogs and articles served as a repository of information that was shared by Canadians with an interest in Canadian energy policy.
Getting to a Canadian energy strategy: Why do we need one? was the first article, and the fundamental starting point for this series. Canadian stakeholders and governments need to find consensus on this before we go forward. This article highlights three challenges that Canada faces called “crunches” which point to the sense of urgency around the need for a Canadian energy strategy.