EDMONTON — Premier Danielle Smith is heading to Houston on Monday to tout Alberta as a reliable energy provider for the U.S., amid global uncertainty over the country's conflict with Iran. "We're from Canada," said Smith during her Your Province. Your Premier. radio show on Saturday. "We're here to help, and we want to make sure that we're building pipelines in all directions, east, west, north and south. And so that's the reason why I'm going down there." .Smith and Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean will attend the CERAWeek conference, and she said attending such events is key to advancing Alberta's economy. The premier's itinerary includes meetings with U.S. federal officials and industry leaders, promoting and speaking at Alberta House and Canada House events, and participating in panels with other Canadian officials."I went in 2024, and one of the shocking things I discovered was that they had no idea where Alberta was, who we were, or the fact that they received the lion's share of their imports from us, in particular, and Canada in general," Smith said. The Alberta Energy Regulator commissioned McDaniel and Associates Consultants Ltd. to evaluate Alberta's oil and resource reserves in 2024, and armed Smith with the report showing that Canada held the world's fourth-largest oil reserve ahead of her trip to CERAWeek 2024. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. imported nearly 4.5 million barrels of oil per day from Canada in 2025, and 4.7 million in 2024..Pride in Alberta's oil and gas industry was a major talking point during Smith's speech to UCP donors on Thursday, in which she said: "The world needs more Alberta oil and gas.""Recent global events are proof of that," Smith said during her speech. "From Venezuela to Iran, geopolitical events have made it abundantly clear that the world needs more Alberta oil and gas."She claims she will tout a similar message in Houston. "This trip is going to be where I let them know that even though we want to build a pipeline to the BC coast, we also want to build a pipeline south as well," Smith said. "We know that they have a high demand, and there's at least 2 million barrels of oil a day plus, that various pipeline companies are proposing, and all it needs is U.S. permits to approve, because most of the infrastructure is built on our side.”.Trade missions have been impactful in limiting Alberta's ability to withstand the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S., according to Smith, with 98% of Alberta's exports crossing the boarder tarrif free. "I think that it's that engagement and diplomacy and understanding and talking in terms of how the Americans benefit, both their producers and consumers, from a secure supply from Alberta," Smith said. "It's good for all of us, so I'm going to keep on doing that too."Smith's travels have attracted ample attention since Tuesday, when she said she accepted a ride on a private jet, courtesy of the Saudi Arabian government, while touring sites in the country during a November trade mission. The premier defended this trip by saying it was pre-approved by Alberta's Ethic's Commisioner, and that it is standard practice for governments to charter planes and treat dignitaries when welcoming visiting officials.
