Manchin Calls for Stronger U.S.-Canada Energy and Mineral Partnership to Ensure Free World's Energy Security and Address Climate Change & More News Here

Manchin: It’s crucial that America will increase accountable vitality manufacturing to contribute to a robust North American Energy Alliance

Washington,
DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivered the next remarks throughout
a full committee listening to to look at methods to strengthen the vitality and mineral
partnership between the U.S. and Canada to handle vitality safety and local weather
targets.

Today
we’re welcoming our associates from the North, from Canada, to proceed this
committee’s essential dialog about how we pursue two essential objectives
– guaranteeing vitality safety and addressing local weather change.

These
two objectives aren’t mutually unique, and it’s crucial that we handle each.

We
all agree that Putin has used Russia’s oil and fuel assets as a weapon to
inflict horrible ache on the Ukrainian individuals and on Europe.

And
different energy-rich autocracies are taking observe. We’d be fools to assume Xi
Jinping gained’t think about using an analogous playbook, leveraging China’s management
over international essential minerals provide chains.

But
Putin’s aggression is bringing the free world nearer collectively, setting the
stage for a brand new alliance round vitality, minerals, and local weather.

Building
this alliance ought to begin right here in North America. And that’s why I’m excited to
hear as we speak about how we will strengthen the vitality and minerals partnership
between the U.S. and Canada.

I
just lately had the privilege of being hosted in Alberta by Premier Kenney, the place
I spent two days getting a greater understanding of our vitality, minerals, and
manufacturing partnership by means of conferences with representatives from Alberta,
Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, the federal authorities, and tribal and
trade companions.

Canadians
and Americans share a deep historical past and are pure companions, sharing the
longest land border on the planet.

Our
individuals fought side-by-side in two world wars. In reality, a number of the uranium used
by the Manhattan Project was mined in Canada’s Northwest Territories and
refined in Ontario.

We
have cultivated a robust manufacturing partnership, notably within the
automotive trade, with Canada as we speak being our largest export market for
autos. Cars assembled in Canada include, on common, greater than 50% of U.S.
worth and elements.

Today
we additionally commerce over 58 terawatt hours of electrical energy, 2.4 billion barrels of
petroleum merchandise, and 3.6 trillion cubic ft of pure fuel annually.

In
reality, vitality alone represents $120 billion of the annual commerce between our
international locations. Across all sectors the U.S. and Canada commerce greater than $2 billion
per day.

There
isn’t any higher image of our vitality relationship than our interconnected energy
grid which is seamless and integral for the dependable and reasonably priced electrical energy
residents and industries in each our international locations rely upon.

And
we’re right here for one another throughout instances of want. Electricity staff from each
the U.S. and Canada frequently cross the border after excessive climate occasions to
assist get the facility again on.

Canada
has ramped up oil exports to the U.S. to offset Russian crude after members of
our committee led laws to minimize off the vitality purchases fueling Putin’s
conflict machine.

Canada
can be a number one provider of uranium and essential minerals to the U.S.,
together with these utilized in superior batteries—comparable to cobalt, graphite, and
nickel.

The
U.S-Canada vitality partnership is powerful, but additionally not with out its challenges.
I’ve not been shy in expressing my frustration that the Biden administration
cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline.

In
mild of Putin’s conflict in Ukraine and the worldwide vitality value surge, I believe a
lot of us want that undertaking had moved ahead.

But
to be clear, I’m not holding this listening to to re-litigate the previous. We are right here
to advance a stronger and cleaner U.S.-Canada vitality partnership for the
future.

Our
allies and buying and selling companions in Europe are begging for North American oil and
fuel to offset their reliance on Russia.

There
isn’t any purpose in any respect we shouldn’t find a way to fill that void, and do it
cleaner than the alternate options.

That’s
as a result of American oil and fuel is cleaner than what’s produced in Russia – and
definitely in Iran and Venezuela. We can do higher, and study from our Canadian
neighbors.

On
common, Canada produces oil with 37% decrease methane emissions than the U.S.,
and the Canadian federal authorities has set much more aggressive methane
discount targets.

That’s
what I imply by local weather and safety not being mutually unique – changing
Russian product has the additional advantage of decreasing the emissions profile of the
vitality Europe wants as we speak.

According
to the International Energy Agency, stationary and electrical automobile batteries
will account for about half of the mineral demand development from clear vitality
applied sciences over the following twenty years.

Unfortunately,
China controls 80% of the world’s battery materials processing, 60% of the
world’s cathode manufacturing, 80% of the world’s anode manufacturing, and 75% of the
world’s lithium ion battery cell manufacturing. They’ve cornered the market.

I
additionally strongly consider we’d like to be taking safety under consideration as we make investments
in local weather options.

It
is senseless in any respect for us to so closely put money into electrical autos as a
local weather resolution when which means growing our reliance on China, as a result of
proper now we’re not concurrently growing our mining, processing, and
recycling capability on the identical price within the United States.

The
Canadians are forward of us on essential minerals refining and processing, and we
have a lot to study from them about how they’re in a position to responsibly allow these
actions in timelines that blow ours out of the water.

I’m
certain our Canadian associates are completely satisfied to export minerals to us, however let me be
clear, the United States additionally wants to contribute our half to a North American
minerals alliance.

So
I’m concerned about discussing how we will create an built-in community for uncooked
minerals to transfer throughout our borders for processing and manufacturing in each of
our international locations.

I
consider there’s a lot we will collaborate on with Canada to create a strong
North American essential minerals provide chain as a substitute of accelerating China’s
geopolitical leverage.

During
this time when the U.S., Canada, and our allies and associates are threatened each
by dictators weaponizing vitality and by intense politicization over local weather
points, we should work collectively to chart a accountable path ahead that may
guarantee safety and unlock prosperity for our nations.

We
are the superpower of the world, and blessed with ample vitality and minerals
assets. We can not simply sit again and let different international locations fill the void and
discover ourselves in a extra dire scenario within the years forward.

We
should be leaning into the accountable manufacturing of all of the vitality sources we’re
going to want, and strengthening strategic partnerships – constructing a North
American Energy Alliance.