Alberta's energy sector is welcoming a majority Conservative government, saying the recent election victory sends a positive message to the industry and its investors.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government knows how important the energy industry is to Alberta and the rest of the country, said Greg Stringham, a vice-president with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

'They will be able to move forward with the policies that …had been kind of bogged down in the minority governments.' —Greg Stringham

"They understand our industry. The continuity there is really good in that they will be able to move forward with the policies that they had been considering, that had been kind of bogged down in the minority governments that were there in the past," he said.

Stringham expects Harper to reduce red tape for the industry and facilitate access to international markets.

Speaking in Calgary on Tuesday, Prime Minister Harper said his opponents' policies on the energy sector would have damaged Western Canada.

"There were a lot of policies floated by the other parties – whether it's on west coast transportation or the energy sector – that simply did not reflect the needs and the concerns of this part of the country. I think in fact were pretty seriously threatening to the interests of this part of the country in particular," Harper said.

Corey Finlay, who runs Demon Oilfield Services, agreed.

"Our industry's been up and down, up and down in the last few years, and I just really felt we needed that Conservative win last night," he said.

But for an Alberta-based environmental think-tank, the news of a Tory majority isn't as rosy.

Harper's actions on climate change has been inadequate so far, said Pembina Institute executive director Ed Whittingham, who added he looks forward to working with Harper.

"To become a leader in the fast-growing clean energy economy, Canada must implement much stronger policies than the Conservative government has introduced so far or proposed in its campaign platform," he said in a statement released Tuesday.

The institute wants to see a more active federal role in ensuring responsible development of Alberta's oilsands and encouraging the development of clean energy sources.