Laura Lochman arrived in Calgary this June on a three-year appointment as United States consul general for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. She is a career diplomat with more than 20 years of service in Washington, D.C., Russia, Spain, Venezuela and Brazil. She was peppered with questions when she attended the annual fall oil sands conference and trade fair in Edmonton.

Alberta Oil: Don Thompson, president of the Oil Sands Developers Group, admits his industry is politically cornered with limited means of defending itself against green critics aiming to knock it out of action by tarring its reputation when he says, “Often the facts are kind of boring compared to the spin.” Does the U.S. government base energy policy on facts?
Laura Lochman: I hope so. We certainly make an effort. Policy needs to be based on facts and discussions between all stakeholders. That debate has to take place. It has to be based on the facts as we understand them. The conversation has to take place at several levels. It’s about being engaged. There needs to be effort put into communicating the role Canada plays on environmental improvements. Publicly reporting results can only help.

AO: Is Canada being taken for granted as the largest supplier of oil imports by the U.S. – and would it be smart for Alberta to develop alternative markets?
LL: The Obama administration wants to reduce reliance on foreign oil over the long term. There are commitments to reduce emissions, encourage low-carbon forms of energy, and develop a strong international agreement on climate change. But oil will continue to be a large part of the energy mix. I’d like to make somewhat of a distinction between foreign oil and Canadian oil. That line doesn’t really exist when we’re talking about Canadian oil. We really are truly a North American energy market. Canada is a close and trusted neighbor. Look at the State Department’s approval for construction of the new Alberta Clipper oil export pipeline. The statement referred to American strategic interests in increasing the diversity of oil sources, increasing non-OPEC supplies, Canada as a reliable partner, and free trade agreements that augment the security of its supplies. There are environmental concerns. We want to work in a way that ensures we have both clean energy supplies and economic growth.

AO: Can you forecast results of the debate over climate change and fossil fuels in the U.S. Congress?
LL: You can’t predict the finished product or the date when it will come. I just talked to two U.S. senators and they don’t know either. Regarding the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act in the House of Representatives, I know there are concerns. We can be sure the final legislative product from the Senate will look very different from the version passed by the House. But we can also be sure that carbon emissions will be among the administration’s priorities.