(Ottawa) The Trudeau government does not intend to challenge Alberta’s use of its sovereignty law to try to evade federal regulations on clean electricity. A gesture “motivated by an anti-environment, anti-climate change and anti-progress ideology,” reacted the Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault.
“It’s a resolution that was adopted in the Legislative Assembly, it has no legal basis so I don’t need to contest that,” he said during a press briefing late Monday. afternoon. We continue to move forward with regulations on the carbon-neutral electricity network. »
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith uses the Alberta Sovereignty in a United Canada Act to oppose this regulation which, once in force, will require its electricity network to be carbon neutral by 2035.
“We are creating an opportunity for the federal government to do the right thing and step back,” she said Monday.
Alberta would like to extend the deadline from 2035 to 2050, the year in which Canada aims for a carbon-neutral economy.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
A motion tabled Monday in the Alberta legislature authorizes officials and regulators not to cooperate with these new federal rules without going so far as to break the law. It also calls on the Alberta government to explore the creation of a crown corporation, which would be “a last resort” to ensure there is enough electricity to feed the grid.
Mme Smith fears disruptions if Alberta is forced to replace its natural gas-generated electricity with clean energy. Electricity in Alberta is provided by private companies and they would not be constrained by the government’s motion.
These fears are unfounded, according to Minister Guilbeault. “It is clearly motivated by an anti-environment, anti-climate change and anti-progress ideology,” he reacted. It is important to understand that the Premier of Alberta has put in place a moratorium on the development of renewable energies, which puts $30 billion in investments in her province at risk. Thousands of jobs are at risk and it’s completely ideologically driven. »
He argued that Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, two provinces “very dependent on fossil fuels,” have signed an agreement with the federal government to “work on a carbon-neutral electricity network in 2035.”
Ottawa does not intend to move back its target on clean electricity production in 2050. The regulation, which is still the subject of consultations, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus fight against climatic changes. Canada has set itself the objective of reducing them by 40%, and if possible 45%, below 2005 levels by 2030 as part of the Paris Climate Agreement.
with The Canadian Press