Jim Prentice will help Washington Keystone XL talks, says Gary Doer

Canada's ambassador to the United States says Albertapremier-elect Jim Prentice carries a lot of clout in Washington,where a parade of top federal and provincial officials have stumpedin recent years for the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline.

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"Premier-elect (sic)Prentice is very well respected in the UnitedStates," Gary Doer said in an interview.

Doer said Prentice brings some green credibility to the file. Forinstance, in 2010, when Prentice was the federal environmentminister, he worked with his U.S. counterparts on a deal for tougherlight vehicle emissions standards.

"He goes into this job already bringing in one of the biggestreductions in greenhouse gas emissions," Doer said.

"He knows the people and he's worked and got agreements before.The premier-elect is very effective in Washington believe me."

Keystone XL mired in regulatory process

Prentice, who was a senior executive at the Canadian ImperialBank of Commerceafter leaving federal politics, was chosenas leader of the Alberta's governing Progressive Conservative partythis past weekend.

During her tenure as premier, Alison Redford made numerous tripsto Washington to make the case for Keystone XL, which would link830,000 barrels per day of mostly oilsands crude to U.S. markets. Six years after its backer, Calgary-based TransCanada Corp., filed its application, the proposal still remains miredin the U.S. regulatory process.

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Much of the consternation over Keystone XL and similar proposalsis over what would flow in the pipeline: oilsands crude. Environmental groups see Keystone XL as a key enabler to furtherdevelopment of Alberta's oilsands and the increase in greenhousegas emissions that would come with that.

Many have argued that the continued lack of federal greenhousegas regulations for the oilsands in Canada has made the sales pitchfor Keystone XL in the U.S. more difficult.

In the past, when trying to sell the U.S. on Keystone XL, Canadarelied on the argument that it can provide a stable,reliable supplyof oil and "that we weren't petro-dictators," Doer said earlier ata conference in Calgary hosted by Swiss technology giant ABB Group.

Nebraska court case

"And to some degree, some false narratives were developedagainst the oilsands about 10 years ago that we've had to work hardto knock down. Have we knocked them all down? No."

Doer said a court case in Nebraska over whether the governor hasthe authority approve Keystone XL's route through the stateshouldn't prevent the Obama administration from making a decision onthe pipeline.

"I think they could approve it today based on the fact that theborder, the international crossing, which the president has
international jurisdiction on, is in Montana and not in Nebraska,"he said.

As for whether he believes Keystone XL will be approved beforeBarack Obama's second term as president ends, Doer said it was atoss-up.

"I think if he listens to scientists ... the answer is yes," hesaid in the interview. "If he goes with who's loudest, whoknows?"