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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The podcast opens with updates on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a German state-owned energy company contracting for Canadian West Coast LNG, and the Pope's theological document warning about AI. 

Next, Peter and Jackie introduce this week's guest, Marc Spieler, Senior Managing Director for the Global Energy Industry at NVIDIA, joining from Houston, Texas, to discuss the latest developments at the intersection of AI and energy. 

Energy and AI are deeply interlinked. Energy companies are using AI to improve efficiency across oil and gas, renewables, and emerging sources such as next-generation fission and fusion. At the same time, AI's explosive growth is driving significant new electricity demand, requiring a build-out of both generation and grid infrastructure. 

Predicting future power demand from AI remains uncertain; it depends on the pace of adoption and whether GPUs, along with other delivery components of the digital infrastructure stack, will become more efficient over time. Marc highlights that data centres are becoming more flexible, with the ability to reduce consumption during periods of grid stress. This would allow new data centre capacity to be added without straining the grid, while also lowering costs for all power consumers by improving system utilization during off-peak periods. 

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• NVIDIA Blog with examples of energy company AI applications: Efficiency at Scale: NVIDIA, Energy Leaders Accelerating Power‑Flexible AI Factories to Fortify the Grid (March 2026) 
• NVIDIA’s NeMo Framework was used for asset integrity and reliability at Petrobras (March 2025) 
• NVIDIA’s Earth-2 library of open models, libraries, and frameworks that democratize global access to professional-grade weather and climate AI 
• NVIDIA Vera Rubin DSX AI Factory reference design to maximize efficiency (March 2026) 
• NVIDIA and Emerald AI, along with other energy companies, pioneer flexible AI factories (March 2026)  
• Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence (May 25, 2026) 

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On May 15, Alberta and Ottawa announced updates to their MOU on carbon markets and energy policy, aimed at advancing a greenfield oil pipeline proposal to Asian markets by July 1, with possible construction readiness after September 2027. The agreement lowers industrial carbon compliance costs and introduces a TIER price floor (called a minimum transfer price), although industry groups still argue that costs remain too high. The new framework also introduces additional complexity and uncertainty around carbon markets. While the deal marks progress toward a West Coast oil export pipeline, key uncertainties remain regarding commitments to the Oil Sands Alliance Pathways CCS project, opposition in British Columbia, and the future of the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER). 

On May 14, the federal government also announced a national electricity strategy. The strategy includes plans for regional electricity planning, along with proposed measures such as extending the Clean Electricity ITC to certain intra-provincial transmission projects and a plan to consult on added flexibility to the CER. 

To help Peter and Jackie unpack this wave of policy announcements and their implications for carbon markets and investment, they are joined by Rachel Walsh, Director and Head of Carbon Strategy and Partnerships at BMO Capital Markets. 

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• Government of Canada, Powering Canada Strong: A National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy (May 14, 2026) 
• Prime Minister's Office, Canada and Alberta strike agreement to diversify our exports, reduce emissions, and build a stronger economy (May 15, 2026) 
• Prime Minister’s Office, Implementation Agreement for the Canada-Alberta MOU of November 27, 2026 (May 15, 2026) 
• Alberta Government, Release on the updates to the Canada-Alberta MOU Agreement (May 15, 2026) 
• Studio.Energy, Carbon Competitiveness and Canada’s Oil Industry (April 21, 2026) 

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This week on the podcast, Jackie and Peter are joined by Marcus Rocque, Vice President of Research at the ARC Energy Research Institute. This episode focuses on how the oil and gas shock from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is reshaping the outlook for clean energy, including how governments are rationing oil and gas use through policies such as work-from-home measures and lower speed limits. There is already evidence of increasing sales of alternatives, including EVs, heat pumps, and electric cookstoves. 

The shortage, however, is also expected to increase demand for coal as an alternative in countries like India and China, which have abundant domestic resources that provide energy security. The podcast discusses whether this could change long-term demand for oil and gas and the implications for Canada. 

They also consider some of the latest news in Canada, including last week’s visit to Ottawa by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, and reports that the federal government is proposing to reverse the order of environmental approvals, allowing cabinet to green-light projects prior to the completion of technical assessments and approvals, along with implementing a maximum one-year review period. Finally, Premier Danielle Smith also traveled to Ottawa last week and left with a confident message about the delivery of the MOU.

Content referenced in this podcast:

• Globe and Mail, “Canada should accelerate new energy infrastructure as market shifts, IEA chief says” (May 4, 2026) 
• Latitude Media, Jigar Shah, “This isn’t demand destruction. It's rationing.”  (April 24, 2026) 
• Premier Danielle Smith’s post on X regarding her positive meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on the MOU agreement (May 8, 2026) 
• FT, Spencer Dale, “Why the Iran war might not spur a faster transition to low carbon energy” (May 4, 2026) 

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This week, our guest is Rory Johnston, a Toronto-based oil market researcher, the founder of Commodity Context, and, among other things, the host of the Oil Ground Up podcast.  

Peter and Jackie open the show with highlights from the federal government’s economic update, Polymarket bets on the Middle East conflict, and the shift in AI companies toward pay-per-use models over unlimited access. 

They then turn to oil markets, asking Rory: What’s your take on the UAE’s announcement about leaving OPEC? You recently wrote on your Commodity Context Substack that the oil market reaction has been shockingly sanguine; why? How do you interpret broader equity markets trading near all-time highs? What might upstream oil and gas investment in the Middle East look like under a fragile post-conflict scenario? With some Western countries shutting down refineries and becoming more reliant on imported products, which is now obviously a vulnerability, do you expect renewed investment in refining capacity? And in Canada’s pipeline debate, with expansions and greenfield projects proposed, which direction should be prioritized: routes to the U.S. or west-coast access to tidewater and Asian markets?

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• Futurism, “Bosses Are Blowing More Money on AI Agents Than It’d Cost Them to Just Pay Human Workers” (April 27, 2026) 
• Rory Johnson on Commodity Context, “Sanguine Strait Stoppage” (April 23, 2026) 
• Oil Ground Up Podcast

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The podcast opens with major news: Shell’s agreement to acquire ARC Resources, signaling strong confidence in LNG Canada Phase 2, the broader Canadian LNG sector, and the quality of the Montney resource. It also marks a shift, as this is the first major multinational acquisition in Canada following a long period of exits. 

Jackie and Peter discuss additional developments, including Minister Hodgson’s comments on major projects reaching FID or construction within a year and Prime Minister Carney’s announcement of a C$25 billion sovereign wealth fund. The episode then features the Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, who outlines Nova Scotia’s energy priorities, including offshore wind, oil and gas, and potential for onshore natural gas. 

Jackie and Peter ask Premier Houston: How does the recent agreement with the federal government to streamline environmental reviews affect project timelines and certainty? What are the barriers to advancing the Wind West project?  What factors led to the decline in offshore oil and gas production, and what actions is the province taking? What is the opportunity for onshore natural gas in Nova Scotia, and what is the history of the 2014 hydraulic fracturing ban? 

Content referenced in this podcast:

• ARC Resources Announces Agreement to be Acquired by Shell PLC (April 27, 2026) 
• Globe and Mail, “Slew of new major natural resource projects will be under way by next year, Hodgson predicts” (April 24, 2026) 
• Prime Minister Carney announces the Canada Strong Fund – Canada’s first sovereign wealth fund (April 27, 2026) 
• The Hub.ca, “Peter Tertzakian: Want to get pipelines built? Let Canadians own a piece of the action” (April 25, 2025)  
• Nova Scotia Government Wind West Strategic Plan 
• Information on Nova Scotia’s recent call for bids process for offshore oil and gas 
• Nova Scotia onshore natural gas opportunity

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This week on the podcast, Peter and Jackie are joined by Stewart Muir, President and CEO of Resource Works, a leading voice in Canada’s natural resource sector with a focus on British Columbia. 

Peter and Jackie open the episode with a discussion of the latest geopolitical developments, including escalating tensions involving Iran and the resulting volatility in oil prices over the weekend, as the Strait of Hormuz opened and then quickly closed. They also review the news of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s newly elected majority government, what it could mean for energy policy, and his recent video address, “Forward Guidance with Prime Minister Mark Carney.” 

The conversation then shifts to British Columbia, where Stewart provides insight into the province’s current political landscape, starting with the controversy surrounding proposed changes to B.C.’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and Premier Eby's unexpected decision not to proceed with them. 

Peter and Jackie also ask Stewart: Will the Major Project Office (MPO) help advance final investment decisions (FIDs) amid ongoing uncertainty around DRIPA? Is the B.C. government’s proposed royalty increase hurting the competitiveness of LNG projects and investment? Is there potential for B.C. to weaken its greenhouse gas policies to better align with federal-provincial agreements, including elements of the Alberta–Canada MOU?  What is the current level of support for oil pipeline development in B.C., including among Premier Eby and Indigenous communities, particularly along the northern route?  With B.C. increasingly importing electricity and facing potential supply shortages in the future, what are the options to expand generation capacity?

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• YouTube, Forward Guidance with Prime Minister Mark Carney (April 19, 2026) 
• Power Struggle Podcast with Stewart Muir 
• Financial Post Opinion by Deborah Yedlin: The world has an energy problem and Canada is the solution (April 6, 2026)

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This week on the podcast, our guest is Rich Kruger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Suncor Energy Inc. 

Rich explains key messages from the company's recent Investor Day presentation, including its transformation in safety, operations, and financial metrics over the past three years.   

Here are some of the questions that Peter and Jackie asked Rich: What is Suncor’s production now, and what is your 3-year growth plan?  How do oil sands costs stack up against U.S. shale? How much capital are you returning to shareholders, and how do you respond to criticism that Suncor should be investing more capital in Canada versus sending it to investors? What are the reserves of Suncor, and how do these compare to those of other companies?   With pipeline proposals advancing west to tidewater and south to the United States, where should Canada focus its efforts?  Are you concerned about Venezuela creating competition for Canadian oil in the United States? What are your thoughts on US shale oil? Do you expect the growth to slow?   With active discussions underway on carbon pricing and the Pathways Carbon Capture project, what is your perspective on Canada’s future carbon policy and competitiveness?  How does the federal government’s shift in tone affect your investment outlook, and does it meaningfully reduce greenfield project risk?  

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• Suncor Investor Day replay and transcript (March 31, 2026) 

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This week on the podcast, we welcome back Deborah Yedlin, President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. 

Deborah returned to the show to discuss the April 1 deadline for key deliverables under the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed in late November 2025. 

The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including: 

• The Iran conflict, the ongoing Strait of Hormuz closure, looming energy shortages, and global oil prices  
• Progress on the four key deliverables from the Canada-Alberta MOU, including the agreements in principle reached before April 1 on methane regulations and the “One Project, One Review” framework where Alberta would lead environmental reviews. The discussion also covered delays in reaching an agreement on carbon pricing and the large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. While the latter two items missed the deadline, both Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney signaled confidence that agreements will be reached. The discussion also explored whether shifting priorities due to the global energy shortage and affordability concerns could lead to greater flexibility in these requirements 
• West Coast oil pipeline developments, including a discussion of the potential for alternative financing models for a greenfield 1 million barrel a day pipeline, considering the urgency and strategic importance of expanding export infrastructure for both Canada and Asian buyers at this time 

Content referenced in this podcast: 

• Canada and Alberta MOU (November 27, 2025) 
• Canada and Alberta reach agreement-in-principle on methane equivalency (March 25, 2026) 
• Canada and Alberta reach an agreement in principle to accelerate the construction of major projects in Alberta (March 6, 2026)  
• Financial Post: Daniel Smith expects foreign investment to play a role in funding a new pipeline (March 3, 2026) 
• Studio.Energy: The GDP Payoff of Additional Oil Pipeline Capacity (March 18, 2026) 
• TC Energy President and CEO François Poirier: Canada can turn ambition into results, speech made at the Château Laurier (March 31, 2026) 
• Studio.Energy: Beyond the Spike: What Oil Markets are Signaling (April 2, 2026) 

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