Michelle Rempel Garner, Member of Parliament for Calgary Nose Hill, said recent comments from the new US ambassador to Canada indicating Canadian energy is not a solution to the US energy crisis are "incorrect." .“In a wide-ranging interview with the National Post, United States Ambassador to Canada [David] Cohen stated that there is 'no short-term advantage that Canada can provide to the energy crisis,' and rejected strengthening ties on the importation of Canadian carbon energy," said Rempel Garner. .Rempel Garner said not only does she believe Cohen's assertions are incorrect, she called them disappointing. .“Canada and the United States enjoy long-standing peaceful relations and are allies," she said.."Given both our countries are facing high energy costs, energy security challenges, and reliance on carbon energy imports from abroad, it would make sense to look at ways to secure energy production on the North American continent in a mutually beneficial manner while protecting the environment.".Rempel Garner said while both countries are seeking low-cost and reliable alternatives to high-carbon products and practices, "the fact remains that both of our economies remain largely carbon-energy-dependent."."So at present, we can either continue to be reliant on high-cost carbon energy imports from abroad, or we can strengthen ties at home using energy produced in democracies with strict environmental and human rights standards.".“We can either ignore the negative impact that high-carbon energy costs are having on our populations, or try to fix them with home-grown solutions between allies, which is exactly what the Alberta government did last week during its trip to Washington.".Rempel Garner said she hopes Ambassador Cohen will "reach out to colleagues in the Alberta government and the Canadian energy sector to gather more information prior to the calcification of the position he laid out today." .Cohen told the National Post the US is "not really in the market for expanding its dependence on fossil fuels" and said there would be more interest in "expanding our hydropower relationship with Canada and expanding our access to cleaner energies." .According to the Government of Canada website, the bulk of Canada's energy exports in 2019 came from crude oil and crude bitumen at 73% — refined petroleum energy products added another 8% to those exports. Canadian electricity exports in 2019 sat at a meagre 2%.
