An Alberta oil sector engineer says he’s got a plan to revive the cancelled Energy East pipeline project, suggesting it could help unite the country.
University of Alberta economist Andrew Leach, who specializes in energy markets, said Energy East made sense in 2013 because two other pipelines, to the U.S. and to the Pacific Coast, were blocked at a time when there were forecasts of "massive" oilsands growth.
TransCanada's $15.7-billion proposal was also relatively inexpensive because two-thirds of the route would have been on an existing converted natural gas line.
The reduced construction cost would have allowed TransCanada to charge a lower toll rate to oil companies shipping on the line.
None of those conditions exists now with the new proposal, Leach said.