ARC ENERGY IDEAS

This week, the podcast starts with news on the West Coast oil pipeline. On July 2, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced that a pipeline project exceeding 1 MMB/d was ready to be submitted to the Major Projects Office. Earlier that same day, PM Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby announced a Canada–B.C. Cooperative Prosperity Agreement, and, as part of the broader economic agreement, B.C. would not oppose a southern marine terminal for the oil pipeline. 
On July 6, there was more pipeline news, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Premier Smith announcing an early-stage feasibility study for a pipeline connecting Alberta to Ontario’s refining region in Sarnia.  
Peter and Jackie then welcomed Michele Harradence, Enbridge’s Executive Vice President and President, Gas Distribution and Storage, and the new Chair of the Board of the Canadian Gas Association (CGA), to the podcast. 
Peter and Jackie asked Michele about municipal bans on natural gas, the role of natural gas in cold-climate reliability, and natural gas’s GHG emissions. They also discussed the outlook for North American natural gas demand growth, including demand from AI data centres, and whether supply can keep pace. Finally, they compared the regulatory process for major projects in Canada with that in the United States. 
Content referenced in this podcast: 
Canada and British Columbia's new cooperative prosperity partnership (July 2, 2026) 
Canada and Alberta advance west coast pipeline project proposal and Pathways Project Carbon Capture Initiative (July 2, 2026) 
Prime Minister Mark Carney forward guidance video on Canada’s energy future (June 30, 2026) 
ARC Energy Ideas heat pump podcast “Decarbonizing heat: Are air-source heat pumps the solution for Canada? (June 11, 2024) 
Ontario unveils proposed route for Northern Shield Energy Corridor (July 6, 2026) 
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This week, our guest is Mike Law, former president and CEO of the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO). Mike now leads MGL Advisory Services Ltd. and advises several companies, including Energy Alberta, where he is head of power system integration. Energy Alberta is proposing a nuclear generating station in northern Alberta's Peace River region. 
The podcast touches on a long list of Canadian electricity policy initiatives, including the federal government’s Nuclear Energy Strategy (June 22) and the Electricity Strategy (May 14). Other policies that are impacting investment and growth forecasts include the Alberta-Canada MOU, the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER), and – specific to Alberta – the new Data Centre Regulation and the Restructured Energy Market (REM). 
Topics covered include Canada’s need for new electricity generation to meet growing demand, including from AI data centres; how the CER is creating uncertainty for investment in new natural gas generation; and how Alberta’s REM adds another layer of uncertainty. The discussion also covers Canada’s new nuclear strategy and the plan to build 10 new reactors, including how it compares with the U.S. push toward a similar target. Finally, Mike outlines Energy Alberta’s large-scale Peace River nuclear project, including timelines, regulatory requirements, costs, and stakeholder engagement. 
Content referenced in this podcast:  
Nuclear Energy Strategy for Canada (June 29, 2026) 
Powering Canada Strong: A National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy (May 14, 2026) 
Energy Futures: BC Hydro Turns Back to Natural Gas to Help Fill Electricity Gap (June 1, 2026) 
Alberta Data Centre Regulation (June 9, 2026) 
CBC: Power plant proposed for area northeast of Edmonton inches closer to becoming reality (June 24, 2026) 
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This week on the podcast, our guest is Angela Stent, a globally recognized authority on U.S.-Russia relations. Angela has held senior roles at Georgetown University, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Brookings Institution, the U.S. State Department, the National Intelligence Council, and the Council on Foreign Relations, among others. She is also an award-winning author; some of her books include The Limits of Partnership: U.S.-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century (2014) and Putin's World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest (2019). 
Russia's war with Ukraine is increasingly becoming an energy war. As Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities improve, it has begun hitting Russian energy infrastructure with growing success, meaningfully reducing Russia's ability to produce refined products and crude oil. Jackie and Peter explore the complex geopolitics of the conflict with Angela, including Russia's relationships with Europe, the United States, and China. They also discuss the implications for Canada, including the growing attractiveness of energy from a stable supplier, a point recognized at the recent G7 meeting in France, where Canada was identified as a welcome source of energy to diversify away from supply routed through the Strait of Hormuz. 
Jackie and Peter ask Angela: Ukraine has delivered military strikes deep inside Russia this year — does that kind of pressure move Putin toward ending the war? How does Putin view the recent U.S.-Iran conflict, and what are the implications for the Russia-Ukraine war? Beyond Ukraine, is Russia a threat to other European countries? What is a realistic path to ending the war, and what would the best-case scenario look like? 
Content referenced on this podcast: 
G7 leaders' statement on geopolitical issues (June 17, 2026), welcoming the potential of Canada to deliver significant additional capacity to global markets in the coming years  
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This week on the podcast, Peter and Jackie begin with the big news of June 14th: the United States and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to end the war, which takes the form of a memorandum of understanding (MOU). While the agreement leaves numerous details to be settled, both sides expect that shipping will resume through the Strait of Hormuz as a result. 
They then recap last week's episode with the Honourable Brian Jean, Alberta's Minister of Energy and Minerals, and his optimism about changes in the province that are expected to shorten regulatory timelines and advance a West Coast oil pipeline application toward submission in July. Peter and Jackie also discuss Alberta's referendum question this fall on separation, and how foreign investors may view it. 
On June 9, 2026, Peter Tertzakian toured Trans Mountain’s Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia, which exports Western Canadian crude oil to tidewater. Peter shares some of what he learned, including comments from people working at the terminal on safety, tanker filling times, and the project to deepen the channel, which would increase the amount of crude oil that can be loaded onto each ship. 
Content referenced in this podcast: 
Photos from Peter’s tour  
Trans Mountain website 
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This week, our guest is the Honourable Brian Jean, Alberta's Minister of Energy and Minerals. The conversation was recorded at an ARC Financial event in Calgary on June 9. 
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has underscored the importance of energy security and supply diversity. This, along with more supportive federal policies, is raising expectations for growth in Alberta’s oil and gas sector. 
On the podcast this week, Jackie asks Minister Jean about Alberta’s opportunity to expand oil and gas production, including: Is the Strait of Hormuz closure and the Iran war reshaping how people view Canadian energy? What is Alberta's goal for oil production growth, and what changes, regulatory and otherwise, are supporting that goal? How does Alberta benefit from the build-out of LNG export capacity on the West Coast? The Canada–Alberta MOU outlines a plan to submit a 1 MMB/d oil pipeline to reach Asian markets to the Major Projects Office, with the aim of starting the regulatory review by early July. What is its status, and does the decision on the large oil sands CCS project affect the path forward? Are discussions underway with BC on the pipeline and with local communities, including Indigenous groups? And what are Alberta's opportunities in mineral production and, potentially, processing? 
Content referenced in this podcast: 
Canada Government, Overview of Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All (June 4, 2026) 
Global Energy Show (June 9 to 11, 2026) 
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