Public Support Still Strong for Energy East
Among the potential opportunities for Canada surfaced by the impending Trump tariffs is a heightened focus among governments and business leaders on getting our economic house in order.
Energy and infrastructure have been among the topics discussed and one item that caught my eye was a discussion about revisiting the Energy East proposal – a pipeline project to move Western product across Canada for refining and export in the East. When the Premier of Alberta and the federal ministers of natural resources and of industry are all discussing the same topic, it may be worth paying attention.
Before Energy East was cancelled in 2017, it was the most supported pipeline option among those being considered at the time.
Environics has tracked public support for the oil sands development since 2008 and for major pipeline proposals since 2012. Our last measurement of support for the Energy East proposal was September 2017, just before the project was cancelled; At that time, roughly two-thirds of Canadians supported it. The proposal to transport oil east for refining and export consistently enjoyed more public support than other options such as a pipeline south to the United States (i.e., Keystone XL) or a pipeline west (i.e., Northern Gateway and/or the Trans Mountain expansion).
Related, more than half of Canadians continue to support the development of the oil sands, and this support has been steady in the mid 50s for the past decade (support peaked at 62% in 2012). As has historically been the case, support for the oil sands in 2024 was highest in Alberta (78%) and lowest in Quebec (35%).
