Peter D. Holran’87, Director, U.S. Public & Government Affairs, Enbridge, Inc. on the Challenges Facing the Energy Industry

Peter Holran currently serves as the Director of U.S. Public & Government Affairs at Enbridge, Inc. Enbridge, a Canadian company, operates the world’s largest and most reliable infrastructure for delivering energy in North America. Although Enbridge plays a vital role in the energy market, meeting more than 70% of the crude oil needs of U.S. refineries, the company faces major challenges. These challenges include ensuring safety of oil transportation and educating the public about the transportation process. With safety, integrity, and responsibility as core values, Enbridge has begun to use new technologies and practices in order to protect their transportation processes and detect problems right away. While safety is a top priority, educating the public on the benefits of pipelines and transporting energy is also important.  Enbridge’s education policy requires the company to inform each landowner of pipes that run under their property, Holran explained.

It is also notable that Enbridge is one of the only pipeline companies in the energy sector that addresses the issue of climate change. Enbridge has spent over $5 billion on renewable energy sources. Holran believes the transition away from oil and fossil fuel may take decades, but renewable energy will eventually play a major role in the industry.