(Ottawa) Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says Alberta will not get preferential treatment when it comes to new regulations aimed at making electricity cleaner.
The comments are the latest salvo in the seemingly endless battle between Alberta and Ottawa over climate policy.
This release concerns the draft regulation on electricity published last August by Mr. Guilbeault. Under these regulations, all electricity will have to come either from renewable sources, such as wind or hydroelectric power, or have carbon capture technology by 2035.
Both Alberta and Saskatchewan said the target was simply not realistic and that they were instead aiming for 2050 as the date for completely carbon-neutral electricity.
Both provinces still rely heavily on fossil fuels — natural gas for Alberta and coal and gas for Saskatchewan — to produce electricity.
They say they can’t phase out these fuels or build enough carbon capture systems without harming reliability or costing their residents a fortune.
Fierce opposition from Alberta
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said this week she would use her province’s sovereignty law to challenge any attempt by Ottawa to enforce the deadline.
His comments come following the release of a report from the Alberta Electric System Operator, which operates the province’s electricity grid, warning of the possibility of power outages if federal regulations are enforced .
The report does not explain how the agency reached this conclusion. Butme Smith is on the offensive, launching a massive advertising campaign, including outside Alberta, asking people to call on Ottawa not to let Albertans freeze in the dark.
Minister Guilbeault disputes the idea that the new regulations will lead to excessive costs or reliability problems.
He says he wants to work with all provinces and territories to make sure the regulations work for everyone and also reduce emissions.
“I would call on Premier Smith to work with us constructively to ensure that these measures are as effective as possible for all Canadians,” Mr. Guilbeault said during a press conference in Ottawa on Friday.
Although the regulations are still at the consultation stage and adjustments could be made, there will be no exemption for Alberta, the minister maintained.
“How fair would it be for […] the rest of the federation if we started to provide exceptions for the provinces? », he questioned.
“We didn’t do it for pricing. We have worked with all provinces to ensure a fair and equitable pricing system, and we will do the same for clean electricity regulations,” added Mr. Guilbeault.
Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with Ontario, challenged Ottawa’s power to impose a price on carbon in court, arguing it prevented them from exploiting their natural resources as they saw fit.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Canada sided with Ottawa. The country’s highest court has concluded that climate change and emissions transcend provincial boundaries, and therefore, the federal government has jurisdiction to implement a carbon price.
The law on sovereignty, adopted by Mme Smith in Alberta almost a year ago, would allow the province to reject federal laws or regulations when it believes they are harmful to Alberta. This legislation has not yet been tested in court.