Trump’s new energy council could mean trade opportunity for Canada: experts

As Donald Trump builds his caller energy-focused administration, experts accidental it could unfastened opportunities for Canada to grow the 2 countries’ long-standing concern amid threats of wide tariffs from the president-elect.

Trump announced Friday that helium would make a National Energy Council to found U.S. “energy dominance” astir the world. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum volition beryllium astatine the helm, portion besides heading the Interior Department.

“If I were immoderate occidental Canadian premier, I would astir apt beryllium rather blessed … and anticipating large possibilities for commercialized and co-operation,” said Eric Miller, president of Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, a cross-border consultancy focused connected trade, proviso chains and authorities affairs.

Burgum’s caller relation volition oversee a sheet that crosses each enforcement subdivision agencies progressive with energy, including permits, production, regularisation and transportation.

“This Council volition oversee the way to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting reddish tape, enhancing backstage assemblage investments crossed each sectors of the Economy, and by focusing connected INNOVATION implicit long-standing, but wholly unnecessary, regulation,” Trump said successful a statement.

The Republican president-elect said America’s vigor dominance volition marque the satellite safer by allowing the U.S. to merchantability to European allies. Burgum volition besides person a spot connected the National Security Council.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith congratulated Burgum, saying it was a pivotal infinitesimal for North America’s vigor future.

“Together, we’ll fortify vigor security, substance economical growth, and showcase the powerfulness of cross-border collaboration,” Smith posted connected X.

“Let’s get to work!”

Miller said a cardinal question aft Friday’s announcement volition beryllium however it changes Canada’s strategy for engaging with the U.S.

On 1 hand, Ottawa has introduced draught regulations to headdress emissions of greenhouse gases from the lipid and state sector. But connected the other, Miller said, vigor could beryllium a almighty instrumentality to physique partnerships with the Trump administration.

“I deliberation the United States volition request much Canadian vigor careless (of) what they bash themselves,” said Heather Exner-Pirot, a peculiar advisor connected vigor to the Business Council of Canada.

Burgum, a 68-year-old erstwhile bundle executive, volition bring extended cognition of Canadian vigor to the White House. He’s been politician of North Dakota, wherever agriculture and lipid are the main industries, since 2016.

His authorities shares a astir 500-kilometre borderline with Canada, southbound of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and Burgum worked with some provinces to vaccinate motortruck drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Burgum became politician during the turbulent protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, it’s been reported that helium besides prioritized engagement with Indigenous nations during his tenure.

Burgum’s assignment Friday, on with fossil substance enforcement Chris Wright arsenic vigor secretary, was praised by manufacture but faced pushback from biology groups.

Wright is “a champion of soiled fossil fuels,” said Jackie Wong, elder vice-president for clime and vigor astatine the Natural Resources Defense Council, an biology group.

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Wright has been a vocal professional of efforts to combat clime change.

Burgum was labelled “a longtime person to fossil substance interests” by David Seabrook, president of The Wilderness Society.

But Canadian observers accidental Burgum’s assignment astatine slightest shows a pragmatic manus amid different Trump choices for cardinal positions that favoured loyalty to the president-elect implicit experience.

Trump’s designations for nationalist information and borderline positions, among others, person been captious of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian policies.

His predetermination has caused interest northbound of the borderline up of a reappraisal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, negotiated nether the archetypal Trump administration, successful 2026.

Exner-Pirot said Burgum has made her little disquieted astir Trump’s projected tariffs targeting the Canadian vigor sector.

She besides noted that Burgum believes successful clime alteration and is funny successful c capture. He acceptable a extremity for North Dakota to beryllium c neutral by 2030.

“It’s wide that idiosyncratic similar Burgum would recognize the implications connected vigor markets,” she said.

But Carlo Dade, manager of commercialized and commercialized infrastructure astatine the Canada West Foundation, cautioned that Trump’s “Make America Great Again” mantra does not see Canada.

If the U.S. tin rapidly ramp up vigor production, it could little the terms of Canadian oil, helium said, and cuts to the Biden medication investments successful renewable vigor probe and implementation would besides harm Canada’s industry.

However, Dade besides said the promised ramp-up successful accumulation volition apt hap slower than expected.

“We’ve got to interruption our aged habits astir reasoning astir the Americans,” helium said successful an email.

“In the past, we would person seen opportunities successful an announcement similar this, but yesterday (isn’t) contiguous and we’ve got to halt surviving and reasoning successful the past.”