The Energy East pipeline, if built, would increase greenhouse gas emissions enough to wipe out all the gain from Ontario's elimination of coal-fired power plants, says a new report by the Pembina Institute. Author of the Pembina Institute report, Clare Demerse, said that conclusion demonstrates that regulators should consider the proposed pipeline's climate impacts in hearings on the project.

"We think that we need to think about the implications of pipelines, not just in terms of the implications along the route, but there's also a climate conversation to be had," Demerse said.

The report uses industry and government figures to argue that expansion of the industry is linked to expansion of the pipeline network that would bring its product to new markets. Climate Implications of the Proposed Energy East Pipeline provides a preliminary assessment of Energy East's impact on Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. It estimates the proposed pipeline's upstream impact as being between 30 and 32 million tonnes of annual emissions.