{"id":609689,"date":"2022-04-16T19:45:07","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T19:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/radiofree.asia\/?guid=e9342be66d11d5b503b8955091ec7b29"},"modified":"2022-04-16T19:45:07","modified_gmt":"2022-04-16T19:45:07","slug":"manchin-visits-alberta-as-canada-ramps-up-us-lobbying-amid-energy-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/04\/16\/manchin-visits-alberta-as-canada-ramps-up-us-lobbying-amid-energy-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchin Visits Alberta as Canada Ramps Up US Lobbying Amid Energy Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sen. <\/span>Joe Manchin<\/a> <\/span>(D-W.Va.) visited Alberta, Canada, this week and met with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to discuss North American energy security in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. The visit came as the oil-rich province has quickly expanded its U.S. outreach in an effort to advance Alberta\u2019s energy and trade interests in America, according to documents filed with the U.S. Justice Department. <\/p>\n

In recent weeks, the <\/span>Alberta government<\/a> <\/span>retained at least two firms in Washington to assist in \u201cstrategic communications,\u201d \u201cmessage testing\u201d and \u201cdirect advocacy with the United States Congress,\u201d <\/span>documents <\/span><\/a>show. The <\/span>Canadian Energy Centre<\/a>, a government-funded corporation that promotes and defends Alberta\u2019s fossil fuel industry, also recently hired an ad agency to spearhead media campaigns in the U.S.<\/p>\n

The disclosures, required under the <\/span>Foreign Agents Registration Act<\/a>, shed light on Alberta\u2019s efforts to influence U.S. policy as the American government grapples with near-record high gas prices, inflation, climate change and conflict in eastern Europe. Since war broke out in Ukraine, Kenney <\/span>has<\/a> <\/span>repeatedly<\/a> <\/span>urged<\/a> <\/span>the U.S. to import more oil from Alberta, home to the world\u2019s <\/span>fourth-largest proven oil reserves<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, supports an \u201call-of-the-above<\/a>\u201d approach to energy policy that leverages renewables, as well as fossil fuels, to drive down energy costs. He too has pushed for increasing Canadian oil and gas imports. <\/p>\n

But some climate and security experts <\/span>say<\/a> <\/span>the best way to deal with both rising energy costs and Russian aggression is to wean off fossil fuels. Anthony Swift, Canada program director at the <\/span>Natural Resources Defense Council<\/a>, an environmental advocacy group, told OpenSecrets countries should seize this opportunity to accelerate a transition from an oil market. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that efforts to phase out combustion engines to support the electrification of our vehicle fleet will do far more to reduce our dependence on, you know \u2014 on oil from Russia and other petro-states, than really doubling down on oil production,\u201d Swift said.<\/p>\n

Manchin, who <\/span>profits<\/a> <\/span>from his family\u2019s West Virginia <\/span>coal company<\/a>, received more <\/span>campaign donations<\/a> <\/span>from the oil, coal and gas industries than any other senator in the current election cycle.<\/p>\n

The debate over how to best deal with rising energy costs comes as a recent <\/span>report<\/a> <\/span>by the United Nations\u2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the window to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is rapidly closing. The global average temperature is projected to rise further unless greenhouse gas emissions peak in 2025. U.N. Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres \u2014 who has <\/span>said<\/a> <\/span>that increased use of fossil fuels in response to Russia\u2019s aggression risks jeopardizing climate goals \u2014 called on countries to accelerate their shift to renewable energy.<\/p>\n

One firm hired by the Alberta government touted its access to U.S. lawmakers, including Manchin. The firm, <\/span>Crestview Strategy<\/a>, recently signed a 2-year contract with the provincial government worth one million Canadian dollars \u2014 equivalent to about $791,000 in U.S. currency \u2014 and partnered with the lobbying powerhouse <\/span>Capitol Counsel<\/a> <\/span>earlier this year to further Alberta\u2019s outreach in Congress, foreign lobbying disclosures <\/span>show<\/a>. In a letter hyping Capitol Counsel\u2019s government connections, Crestview Strategy partner and U.S. managing director <\/span>Maryscott Greenwood<\/a> <\/span>singled out <\/span>Jonathan Kott<\/a>, a former adviser to Manchin and Sen. <\/span>Chris Coons<\/a> <\/span>(D-Del.). Kott joined Capitol Counsel in 2021 after more than a decade in government, including seven years in Manchin\u2019s Senate office. <\/p>\n

Greenwood<\/a> <\/span>herself is a former diplomat and serves as CEO of the <\/span>Canadian-American Business Council<\/a>. The council\u2019s members include the <\/span>Association of Oil Pipe Lines<\/a> <\/span>as well as oil and gas giants <\/span>ConocoPhillips<\/a>, <\/span>Exxon Mobil<\/a> <\/span>and <\/span>Enbridge<\/a>, Canada\u2019s <\/span>largest transporter<\/a> <\/span>of crude oil. <\/p>\n

In March, Alberta\u2019s government also signed a two-year, CA$2 million contract with <\/span>JDA Frontline Partners<\/a>, led by the longtime lobbyist and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, <\/span>Trevor Francis<\/a>. While the firm retained its name in paperwork filed with the Justice Department, JDA Frontline Partners <\/span>rebranded<\/a> <\/span>as <\/span>Seven Letter<\/a> <\/span>in 2019, after it merged with Blue Engine Message & Media.<\/p>\n

While the firms were hired to advance the government\u2019s interests on a range of issues, energy remains front-and-center. JDA Frontline Partner\u2019s media strategy revolves almost entirely around positioning the Alberta oil and gas industry as a secure, reliable and environmentally responsible energy supplier, documents show. <\/p>\n

The two firms also previously lobbied for the now-canceled <\/span>Keystone XL<\/a> <\/span>pipeline, which, if completed, would have transported 830,000 barrels of Alberta oil daily to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast. It was championed by the Alberta government but bitterly <\/span>opposed<\/a> <\/span>by indigenous communities and environmental groups.<\/p>\n

JDA Frontline Partner conducted a national poll which showed public support for the project. A day before President <\/span>Joe Biden<\/a> <\/span>pulled<\/a> <\/span>a key permit preventing the pipeline from being built in the U.S., Crestview Strategy and <\/span>Crossroad Strategy<\/a>, another consulting firm hired by the Canadian government in 2021, shared the results of the survey with <\/span>media<\/a> <\/span>and <\/span>congressional aides<\/a>, including House Minority Leader <\/span>Kevin McCarthy<\/a>\u2019s (R-Calif.) chief of staff, documents show. JDA Frontline Partners also <\/span>booked<\/a> <\/span>interviews for Kenney with Fox News<\/em> and MSNBC<\/em>. <\/p>\n

TC Energy, the Canadian company behind Keystone XL, abandoned the project last summer. But policymakers in the U.S. and Alberta appear intent on keeping some version of the pipeline alive. Kenney, whose government is <\/span>suing<\/a> <\/span>the U.S. to recoup CA$1.3 billion it lost in the project, <\/span>told<\/a> <\/span>CTV News in March that Alberta would consider taking on the project if given assurances by the American government the pipeline would be completed. A <\/span>bill<\/a> <\/span>introduced by Rep. <\/span>Buddy Carter<\/a> <\/span>(R-Ga.), a member of the House Energy Committee, aims to do just that. <\/p>\n

The Alberta government did not answer specific questions about its contracts with Crestview Strategy or JDA Frontline Partners. In a statement to OpenSecrets, it said, \u201cThe United States is Alberta\u2019s largest trading partner and export market. We have deeply integrated relationships in energy, agriculture, and technology, and connections across many other sectors. Ensuring Alberta\u2019s interests are well represented in the United States is not only important \u2014 it\u2019s essential.\u201d <\/p>\n

Canadian oil and gas industry interests\u2019 U.S. advertising on the rise<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another group pushing Alberta\u2019s oil and gas interests is the Canadian Energy Centre, a publicly-funded corporation established by Alberta\u2019s United Conservative Party government in 2019. Kenney formed the center to counter what he called misinformation about the province\u2019s lucrative but embattled industry, the subject of frequent criticism for its record on <\/span>indigenous<\/a> <\/span>and <\/span>environmental<\/a> <\/span>issues. The so-called \u201cenergy war room\u201d is overseen by three provincial cabinet ministers who make up its board of directors. Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage \u2014 a <\/span>former<\/a> <\/span>Enbridge lobbyist \u2014 serves as board chair.<\/p>\n

In March, the Canadian Energy Centre launched a print and digital ad campaign that seized the war in Ukraine to urge Americans to \u201clook north\u201d for their energy needs. <\/p>\n

\u201cRussia changed the global energy conversation,\u201d <\/span>an ad in The Washington Post<\/em> paid for by the center read<\/a>. \u201cIf not Canada, who are you entrusting your energy security to?\u201d<\/p>\n

The campaign\u2019s CA$1.7 million price-tag reflects the Canadian Energy Centre\u2019s dramatic increase in spending on advertising in the U.S. The center\u2019s first and only other campaign targeting Americans, a <\/span>series<\/a> <\/span>of billboard ads in New York and Washington last year, cost CA$240,000. Tom Olsen, CEO and managing director of the center, told OpenSecrets about one-third of its CA$12 million budget this year will go toward U.S. outreach. The ad agency DDB Canada, a subsidiary of advertising and public relations giant <\/span>Omnicom Group<\/a>, is on retainer through at least March 31, federal disclosures <\/span>show<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Olsen told OpenSecrets by email that the war in eastern Europe has underscored the \u201cfolly\u201d of Western energy policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnergy transition takes time. It can\u2019t be accomplished overnight,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the CEC we want to promote a realistic conversation about the energy mix as we move towards a lower carbon future.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Swift of the Natural Resources Defense Council said expanding Canada\u2019s oil and gas production and export capacity will also take time, which he believes could be better spent building out Canada\u2019s green energy infrastructure. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea that it\u2019s going to take longer to deploy alternative clean energy technologies than it will to expand, you know, tar sands production is \u2026 simply false,\u201d he said. \u201cOver the next eight years, we can generate an enormous reduction in our oil use through the deployment of clean energy technologies.\u201d <\/p>\n

Swift also rejected Alberta\u2019s argument that countries should import Canada\u2019s \u201cethical oil<\/a>\u201d as an alternative to oil from countries where profits may be used to \u201cfund terrorism, violence and global instability.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGiven the consequence of climate change that we\u2019re already seeing,\u201d Swift said, \u201cI think it\u2019s hard to describe oil at this point as ethical, produced anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alberta may soon be able to make its case for increased production directly to Congress. At a <\/span>joint press conference<\/a> <\/span>capping his visit to the province, Manchin said he intends to invite Kenney and a delegation from Alberta to testify before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to tell the American people \u201cwhat you do, how you do it, and how well you do it.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

This post was originally published on Latest - Truthout<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Manchin has pushed for increasing Canadian oil and gas exports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11583,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3288,40647,47658,14314,44349,4603,6194,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609689"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11583"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609689"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":609690,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609689\/revisions\/609690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}