Kenney, oilsands execs in Washington to rehabilitate Canada’s energy image

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and oilsands industry executives were in the U.S. capital Wednesday as part of a fresh push to rehabilitate the public image of Canada’s fossil fuels.

At the core of the effort is the Pathways Alliance, a coalition of oilsands producers that hopes to eliminate the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The alliance is proposing a multibillion-dollar carbon capture and storage project that would store harmful emissions deep in the Prairies to keep them out of the atmosphere.

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Senior adviser Mark Cameron says that for too long, outsiders and critics have been allowed to tell the story of the oilsands industry, including in the U.S.

Rhona DelFrari, Cenovus Energy’s chief sustainability officer, says the goal is to convince members of Congress that Canadian energy producers are serious about eliminating their carbon footprint.

This week’s meetings come just six weeks after Kenney testified in person before the Senate energy and natural resources committee chaired by West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin.