Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Calgary Stampede festival in Alberta
Letter from Canada: The coming energy war
Conflict between the federal government and Alberta’s new premier seems inevitable
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wasted no time during her election victory speech in the early hours of 30 May in throwing down the gauntlet to Ottawa about two of its proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction programmes: a net-zero power grid by 2035, and an oil and gas sector emissions cap in 2030, with drafts to be released shortly and in the autumn, respectively. “As premier, I cannot under any circumstances allow these contemplated federal policies to be inflicted upon Albertans,” she declared. “I simply cannot, and I will not.” “There is a big fight coming up” Smith, Alberta premier In contrast, the two federal ministers responsible for the policies attempted to turn down
Also in this section
30 November 2023
The region’s rapidly evolving infrastructure has a lot to be commended for, but some of the capacity may not be ready in time for the 2024 heating season
30 November 2023
Burgeoning middle class and long-term growth from a low base at odds with energy transition efforts
28 November 2023
Countries such as Pakistan will require fossil fuels for a long time to come, requiring a reframing of the narrative around the energy transition
28 November 2023
Rising LNG demand and supply risks are outpacing shipping logistics amid Panama and newbuild challenges
