“In recent weeks, our government has heard repeatedly from Canadians concerned about the federal electricity regulations. Ottawa’s unaffordable blackout regulations will increase costs and hurt grid reliability for businesses and families, all for targets that aren’t feasible or realistic.
“To date, the federal government has provided inconsistent and often misleading information about these flawed regulations. For example, they have incorrectly positioned these rules as flexible enough to allow carbon-based electricity past 2035 if needed. This is misleading. In actuality, the draft regulations are far too rigid and will create conditions that force many companies to shut down natural gas plants. Just this week, two grid alerts were declared due to hot weather and low winds. Natural gas is essential to ensuring a reliable grid.
“Similarly, the federal government has argued that families and businesses ‘will save on energy costs.’ Yet in the modelling that has already taken place, some of which was reviewed by a recent Public Policy Forum report, it indicates that the cost for Canada could be more than $1 trillion, and as high as $1.7 trillion. Cramming these costs onto a truncated timeline all before 2035 will result in massive power bill increases for families and businesses and will make Alberta’s grid unreliable.
“To help keep Canadians informed, Alberta’s government has released a fact sheet that is available online addressing common questions that we have heard.
“Our position remains unchanged: the proposed regulations are unconstitutional, irresponsible and do not align with our Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan, which aims to achieve a carbon-neutral power grid by 2050. As currently written, these regulations will not be implemented in our province – period.
“There is a better path forward, one that doesn’t threaten families with blackouts and soaring costs. Between 2005 and 2021, Alberta reduced electricity emissions by 53 per cent, and we are confident our plan will get us to a reliable and affordable carbon-neutral power grid by 2050.
“Alberta is about to begin efforts for alignment through a working group with the federal government to discuss how to bring Ottawa’s efforts to decarbonize the economy in line with Alberta. If this alignment is not achieved, and if Ottawa continues to ignore Albertans, we will chart our own path to ensuring we have additional reliable and affordable electricity brought onto our power grid.
“This is the direction Alberta is going. We invite the federal government to support us rather than work against us.”