As the Alberta government makes the province’s case as a supporter in U.S. energy objectives, pipelines will be a key topic.

Donald Trump, who was inaugurated as U.S. president this week and threatened tariffs on all Canadian goods, has said he’d like to see his country achieve so-called energy dominance.

Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith, who has spent time this month in Washington, D.C., was asked during a media availability if she had conversations about reviving Keystone XL or a new export pipeline to the U.S.

“I’ve made my case to every person that I have had a chance to talk with,” she replied, noting one can’t have formal discussions and negotiations until the incoming administration is formally confirmed.

“But they certainly know our position and they know that we are here and here to help. As soon as those confirmations are completed, I’m hoping to be able to have more formal discussions about how we can accelerate the construction of infrastructure.”

Smith said Canada has learned that using existing rights of way by expanding existing pipelines, looping or adding compression, is a faster track to being able to get projects built.

Pipeline companies are “dusting off proposals,” she said, adding: “I think there’s a few interesting ones that can be moved on very, very quickly and that’s what I will be helping to present to the administration,” she added.

The provincial leader went on to call Doug Burgum the “most important secretary for us to engage with.”

Burgum is Trump’s Interior Department nominee and leads the new National Energy Council.  

“His job is to co-ordinate between, I think, seven different ministries to make sure that the pipelines can be built and that the environmental issues can be addressed in a satisfactory way,” Smith said. “That to me is going to be … Alberta’s most important relationship when it comes to the energy export question.”

During Burgum’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he described energy dominance as the foundation of American prosperity, affordability for American families and unrivaled national security.

“Today, America produces energy cleaner, smarter and safer than anywhere in the world,” he added. “When energy production is restricted in America, it doesn’t reduce demand, it just shifts production to countries like Russia and Iran whose autocratic leaders not only don’t care at all about the environment, but they use their revenues from energy sales to fund wars against us and our allies.”

During the media call, Smith initially touched on the subject of pipelines when she was asked if Trump’s energy dominance target was a threat or an opportunity, particularly around areas such as investment attraction.

It’s an opportunity, she replied.

“Part of what we just have to look at is the fields that the Americans have and the decline rate on some of that production to get a sense of where their opportunity is versus ours,” added the provincial leader.

She said her read is that the U.S. wants to be a major energy exporter and the only way they can do that with their significant domestic supply needs is to have a reliable partner to backfill for them.

“Who knows? If we are able to be that provider for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, maybe that counts toward our NATO commitment — that we can support their international efforts at security, as well,” Smith said, adding that there’s a need to be creative when advancing that conversation.

The premier noted that she has looked at Canada’s reserves and the American reserves, and said it wouldn’t make sense for the U.S. to cut off its access to the latter’s oil and gas opportunity.

“It seems to me they should understand that by building more pipelines to that resource, that actually helps America.”