Letter to the Editor : Steve Pohold President Energy East Pipeline
Steve Pohold, President, Energy East Pipeline
“I am happy to announce that TransCanada’s Energy East Pipeline project crossed a key milestone earlier this week with the filing of the project’s description to the National Energy Board of Canada (NEB). The filing is the first step in the formal regulatory process for TransCanada to receive the necessary approvals to build and operate the $12-billion project that will allow Eastern Canadian markets to access a less expensive and more stable supply of crude oil from Western Canada.
The Energy East Pipeline project involves converting approximately 3,000 kilometers of existing natural gas pipeline in our Canadian Mainline between Alberta and Eastern Ontario to crude oil service and building approximately 1,600 kilometers of new pipeline to access refineries and export terminals in Quebec and Saint John, New Brunswick. Energy East is anticipated to be in service in 2018.
An independent economic analysis of Energy East conducted by Deloitte found that the project will generate $35 billion in additional gross domestic product (GDP) for Canada during development and construction, and the first 40 years of its operation.
The project is expected to support more than 10,000 full-time jobs during development and construction of the pipeline between 2013 and 2018 with another 1,000 full-time jobs directly supported once the pipeline begins service. It is also expected to generate an additional $10 billion in provincial tax revenues over the same time period.
TransCanada has held over 60 public open houses and participated in hundreds of meetings in 2013 to provide information and discuss important topics such as water safety, pipeline integrity, environmental protection and economic benefits. Important input from these events has enabled TransCanada to narrow its selection to the preliminary pipeline route. We are finding that Canadians strongly support the benefits that a project of this scope will bring with assurances that the Energy East Pipeline will operate with a limited impact on all of the resources along the pipeline route.
We are currently engaging with nearly 500 communities, 155 First Nation and Metis communities and organizations and more than 5,500 landowners in six provinces. TransCanada plans to hold more events in 2014 and is committed to ensuring all of our stakeholders receive the facts and information they require and is using their feedback to design a project that addresses their questions and concerns.
Companies like TransCanada are also part of the solution to the challenge of climate change. To date, we have invested over $5 billion in emission-less energy sources facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Almost one-third of the power we supply across North America comes from emission-less and renewable energy sources – which is part of the diversified approach that many Canadians are seeking.
We invite the public to obtain more information by visiting our website at www.EnergyEastPipeline.com or by calling 1-855-895-8750.
