19-07-04

A new, wide-ranging coalition of energy industry associations in Canada presented their joint submission, Time for a New Focus for Energy in Canada, to the annual meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers.

The Energy Dialogue Group calls on Ministers to encourage investment in energy supply along with increasing energy efficiency to meet Canada's future energy needs in a sustainable manner.

The Group represents 14 associations within the energy sector covering production, transmission, delivery and end use of oil, natural gas and electricity. It is committed to working with federal, provincial, and territorial governments to address emerging challenges in Canada's energy economy.
Those challenges include the need for investment in energy supply and infrastructure, action to address environmental concerns and a future that will likely be characterized by higher energy prices.

The submission calls on Energy Ministers to endorse continuation of the dialogue and joint-work program initiated at their September 2003 meeting in Halifax. As global energy markets continue to expand, there is an opportunity for governments and industry in Canada to co-operate and build on our many energy advantages to develop solutions to the emerging challenges.

The submission is focused on an immediate need to create conditions to attract more private investment in energy supply systems. The first step is to develop more efficient and effective regulatory review processes.

As well, a larger and better-coordinated effort is needed to improve energy efficiency. Over the longer term, there must be investment in both technology and human resources.

Finally, looking toward a sustainable future, there is a need for better information about energy and to ensure that information is widely available to Canadians.

The Energy Dialogue Group was formed by the associations listed below to participate in the new dialogue on energy in Canada.

Energy Dialogue Group Member Associations:
Association of Power Producers of Ontario
Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Canadian Electricity Association
Canadian Energy Pipeline Association
Canadian Gas Association
Canadian Hydropower Association
Canadian Nuclear Association
Canadian Petroleum Products Institute
Canadian Wind Energy Association
Coal Association of Canada
Energy Council of Canada
Petroleum Services Association of Canada
Quebec Energy Efficiency Association

Source: Canada NewsWire