Alberta’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, Brian Jean, is vocally opposing comments made by federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson regarding the future of the oil and gas sector in Canada. Earlier this week, Wilkinson stated that oil production is expected to peak in 2024 and suggested that the oil and gas market is on an inevitable decline as part of climate change initiatives.

“Oil and gas will peak this decade,” Wilkinson asserted. “In fact, oil is probably peaking this year, and the economic plan of the Conservative Party of Canada is simply to produce more in oil and gas into a market that inevitably will begin to decline if we are going to fight climate change.”

In response, Jean expressed disappointment, suggesting that Wilkinson is misinformed about the current and future state of the oil and gas industry. “It is a shame that the federal energy minister is so misinformed when it comes to the future of oil and gas in Canada and around the world,” Jean said. He challenged Wilkinson’s assertion, arguing that the claims about peaking production and economic decline are unfounded.

Jean criticized federal energy policies as being anti-energy and anti-development, claiming they have harmed Canada’s economy. “The demand for Alberta’s oil is only growing and reached record production in July,” he stated, noting that Alberta has successfully developed new markets in Asia. “Millions of people die every year from energy poverty. To kill the oil and gas industry would be to condemn developing countries to energy poverty,” he added, emphasizing the moral obligation to meet global energy demand.

Despite Jean’s claims, Wilkinson maintained that the federal policies he supports have garnered backing from over 300 leading economists across Canada. He highlighted that the government’s approach is designed to address climate change while still considering economic growth.

The exchange is the latest in the ongoing debate between the federal and provincial governments over the future of Canada’s energy sector and the differing perspectives on environmental responsibility.