Former U.S. energy secretary says communication key for energy project approval
CALGARY — The former U.S. secretary of energy in the Obama administration says there are no easy answers when it comes to winning public support for critical energy infrastructure projects.
American nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz, who was energy secretary from 2013 to 2017, gave a speech in Calgary focusing on the need for innovation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still ensuring a supply of energy needed to maintain the North American standard of living.
He says there’s no “cookie-cutter solution” to overcome public opposition to projects such as the Energy East pipeline cancelled Thursday by Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. (TSX:TRP).
Moniz says the key to winning social licence to build is listening to the community and educating it about the liabilities and benefits the project might offer.