The Alberta government, on Monday announced a partnership with energy infrastructure giant Enbridge Inc. to boost the province's pipeline capacity, with a focus on streamlining regulations for pipeline construction.

The move aligns with Premier Danielle Smith's plan to increase oil and gas production in Alberta and potentially boost exports to the United States. 

"It's the perfect time to be doing this," Smith said in a statement reported by CityNews, adding that Alberta should convince the incoming Trump administration that they need a reliable partner like them to ensure they have the right product for their people in order to achieve global energy dominance. 

Funding for the pipeline expansion will reportedly come from in-kind oil and gas payments from producers to the province, rather than taxpayer dollars, according to local media.

Alberta is Canada's leading oil exporter, currently sending roughly 4.3 million barrels of crude daily to the United States. 

Smith expressed her desire to increase exports further, arguing that the US should buy more oil from Canada whenever it needs additional supply instead of looking to adversarial countries such as Iran and Venezuela. 

“They should be looking to their friend up north," she added.

The previous federal government's proposed emissions caps on the oil and gas industry faced opposition from Alberta, and the energy sector, with the Business Council of Canada arguing such caps would effectively limit production and harm the Canadian economy.