CALGARY -- Alberta's premier says new federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole was just stating the obvious when he indicated the Energy East pipeline project was off the table in a conversation with the premier of Quebec.

Jason Kenney says the proposed cross-Canada pipeline isn't on the table because the federal Liberal government killed it in 2017.

Kenney says one of his first calls as premier was to contact his Quebec counterpart and ask him to reconsider his opposition to such a project.

Kenney says once economies start returning to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a crunch on energy supplies.

He says another private company might resurrect the idea as demand starts to grow.

O'Toole met with Quebec Premier Francois Legault on Monday in Montreal — his first visit with a premier since winning the leadership race in August.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2020