Canada is often thought of as a warehouse of resource wealth. It’s hard to disagree. But that view misses an important insight into the country and its energy sector.

Consider Russia. It is another northern colossus, rich in resource wealth and particularly in energy resources. Russia’s resource endowment is greater than ours, befitting the largest land mass in the world. Its total energy production is almost 3 times Canada’s – 60 quadrillion BTUs versus 22 quadrillion – according to the Energy Information Agency. Its production of petroleum, natural gas, and electricity is close to twice Canada’s in all three categories.

One revealing statistic, however, in which Canada leads Russia is GDP per capita, $74,200 versus $53,700. Those numbers suggest that the size of resource endowment, while important, is not the whole story. The numbers suggest that Canadians have a superior ability to turn natural resources into an enviable standard of living.

How do we explain Canada’s relative success in transforming resource wealth into one of the most admired standards of living in the world?  Various sources report Canada to be among the 6 most well-educated countries in the world and by some assessments, the best educated. This might be our most valuable resource. We are home to every form of energy. Canadian ingenuity has allowed us to safely transport oil and natural gas across thousands of kilometres to reach consumer markets. We have extracted oil from the oil sands, improved its quality, and reduced the emissions associated with its production. Similarly, we have connected transmission lines to move electricity from remote generating stations to homes throughout the country. Canada has a unique and reliable nuclear technology. We are building wind and solar farms and tying them into the electricity grid. Canadians are busy developing new sources of energy – geothermal, tidal power, bio-ethane, to name a few.

While some forms of energy can be exported, many cannot. However, the technology and expertise that support all forms of energy can be made available to a global market. The Energy Council of Canada is eager to promote Canadian know-how overseas. For the past two years we have worked with the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service to spread the word about Canada. When Trade Commissioners become aware of business opportunities in the energy sectors of the countries where they are posted, we encourage them to pass that information to us. We will use our industry contacts to ensure that Canadians have a chance to evaluate the opportunity and compete for it.

We encourage the Trade Commissioner Service to expand their use of our services. And we encourage members of the energy sector to stay tuned for the opportunities to expand international business and to make other countries aware of what Canadians can do, by attending conferences and joining trade missions.

Each business must, of course, choose its own strategy. The Energy Council of Canada simply wants to ensure that firms can explore every possible international opportunity and that foreign markets are aware of the Canadian energy sector’s capabilities.