Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling for urgent action to build an energy corridor to Prince Rupert, pitching it as Canada's gateway to Asian energy markets.In a keynote speech at the Global Energy Show in Calgary Wednesday, Smith said Alberta is ready to supply the world with responsibly produced oil, gas and hydrogen — if Ottawa allows it.Smith said the world is demanding more energy — not less — and that Alberta is ready to supply it, if only Ottawa would get out of the way.“We believe that Alberta's energy can bring billions of people globally out of energy poverty, and all we need is more egress and the willingness of our federal government to support expanding pipelines with urgency,” she said.“We cannot build a pipeline to the West Coast if there is a tanker ban. And we cannot expand oil and gas production if we have an emissions cap.”At the centre of Smith’s proposal is a fully integrated corridor northwest to Prince Rupert that would include twinned rail lines, inland ports, expanded port infrastructure, and long-term labour stability. But the anchor, she said, must be a high-capacity pipeline.“The anchor tenant for this corridor must be a 42-inch pipeline, moving one million incremental barrels of oil to those global markets,” said Smith..While Alberta has historically looked south or east for market access, Smith’s emphasis on the West Coast, specifically Prince Rupert, signals a strategic shift. The region is already emerging as a key LNG hub, with LNG Canada expected to deliver its first shipment as early as July.The facility, located in Kitimat, BC, will have a capacity of 14 million tonnes per year when fully operational, equivalent to roughly 10% of Canada’s total marketable natural gas production.“I hear that there's a boat on the way, and that will bring the first liquefied natural gas to the world as soon as July,” said Smith.“This sets the stage for Western Canada to provide energy security to the world.”The $40 billion LNG Canada project is Canada’s first major liquefied natural gas export terminal — and for Smith, it’s proof that large-scale energy infrastructure can be built in this country, even if just barely.“All of that is encouraging, but it's not enough. We need significantly more infrastructure to make the most of Alberta's potential and to meet international demand,” she said..Smith also floated future possibilities, including corridors to Gray’s Bay in Nunavut and Churchill, Manitoba, and even a modern version of the defunct Energy East pipeline. But Prince Rupert stood out in her remarks as the most viable near-term play, particularly as a dual oil and LNG export hub serving Asian markets.She tied her corridor pitch directly to Alberta’s emissions reduction efforts, citing ongoing investments in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), and the Pathways Alliance project. She framed these initiatives not only as environmental necessities but as economic enablers.“Our discussions to date with the federal government have included the need to complete the Pathways project with oilsands producers,” she said.“It would see about 16 megatons of carbon dioxide taken out of the production stage annually, and would ensure that Alberta's heavy oil would move on to a new pipeline in the Port of Prince Rupert as a lower carbon barrel.”Smith noted that since 2012, Alberta oil production has grown by 96%, while emissions intensity in the oil sands has declined.“In fact, Alberta had the greatest reduction in emissions of any Canadian province,” she said.Smith also highlighted Alberta’s leadership in hydrogen, pointing to the Clean Hydrogen Centre of Excellence, newly launched hydrogen hubs in Edmonton and Calgary, and international interest from countries like Japan and South Korea.“Alberta is already Canada's largest hydrogen producer, and we can produce some of the lowest cost clean hydrogen in the world,” she said.
