Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt will join two Alberta colleagues at a U.S. legislative summit this weekend to promote Alberta as a “secure and reliable energy and agricultural partner of choice,” according to a July 31 government news release.
Pitt, along with MLAs Glenn Van Dijken (Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock) and Chelsae Petrovic (Livingstone-Macleod), will attend the 50th annual summit of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) in Boston from Aug. 2 to 7.
“It is vitally important that Alberta is well-represented in discussions that have the potential to significantly affect our province’s future, especially as Canada strives to reach a new economic deal with the U.S.,” Pitt said in the news release.
“In my discussions with decision makers, I will stress the benefits of enhancing two-way trade with Alberta that builds bridges to prosperity.”
According to the province, the MLAs will participate in a series of policy sessions, meetings and networking events to highlight Alberta’s trade position, advocate for cross-border pipelines, and support increased access to U.S. markets for the province’s agri-food and energy sectors.
“Promoting increased access to U.S. markets for Alberta’s farmers, ranchers and agri-processors will be at the top of my agenda when I take my seat on this year’s NCSL Agriculture Task Force,” Van Dijken said. “Our producers put top-quality food on American tables, and I will leverage these discussions to reinforce the key role Alberta can play in establishing North American and global food security.”
Petrovic said Alberta must have a presence at the table.
“Given the sheer number of influential American legislators attending the NCSL, it’s crucial to make sure Alberta is well represented in the room,” she said. “I look forward to joining my MLA colleagues at this year’s annual summit to advance our province’s priorities with high-level decision makers who have shown time and again that they are willing to champion calls for repairing and strengthening ties with Alberta in conversations at the state-level and beyond.”
The NCSL brings together lawmakers and government leaders from all 50 U.S. states, commonwealths, territories and the District of Columbia. Alberta formalized its role by becoming an affiliate member and joining the organization’s International Advisory Council in 2024.
The province reported that Alberta exported $162.1 billion in goods to the U.S. in 2024, accounting for 88.7 per cent of all provincial exports. Energy products made up $133.4 billion of that total. Agricultural exports to the U.S. reached $9.2 billion, a four per cent increase from 2023.
The Alberta delegation will also host a government reception during the summit.
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