Palin urges U.S., Canada to cooperate on energy

Palin, 46, who attracted a crowd of about 1,200 people paying between C$150 (US$146) and C$210 in Calgary, said a proposed gas pipeline from Alaska connecting to systems that cross western Canada would provide “clean, green” energy to the lower 48 states for decades and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

“We'll be able to flow that gas into this area and into the lower 48,” Palin said. “It will put the U.S. on the path to energy independence.”

TransCanada Corp., based in Calgary, and Exxon Mobil Corp. have proposed a 1,700-mile (2,700-kilometer) conduit from Alaska's North Slope to a network of pipelines that connect Alberta, Canada, to the U.S. Midwest. The companies in January said the project will cost US$32 billion to US$41 billion, up from US$26 billion forecast in June.

TransCanada won support from Alaska's state government for its pipeline proposal and a promise of a US$500 million subsidy in 2008 during Palin's term as governor. Exxon Mobil of Irving, Texas, agreed to help finance and build the pipeline in exchange for a minority stake in June.

Canada and the U.S. “will be less safe, less prosperous” if they have to rely on foreign supplies of energy from “unfriendly regimes,” said Palin, who received a standing ovation at the end of her comments.

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