EDMONTON– The Government of Alberta and Ottawa have reportedly agreed to a deal that would see full approval of Alberta's pipeline to the West Coast by September 2027, with the project being declared a national interest by October 2026. Postmedia's Rick Bell reported on Thursday that Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is committing to complete its review of Alberta's application, consultation, and environmental impact analysis by Sept. 1, 2027. The 2027 deadline would be facilitated by the expedited review process triggered on Oct. 1, when the project is declared a national interest. In return, among other things, Alberta has reportedly agreed to build towards a $130-per-tonne carbon tax by 2040, starting with a $5 hike from $95 to $100 in 2027, and increasing by $3 increments per year until 2040. .Alberta has been advocating for a West Coast pipeline for a number of years, after facing opposition from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and it has been a major emphasis for Smith since Carney took over in 2025. Alberta's carbon tax was a sticking point in negotiations and was a major hurdle left after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in November. The reportedly proposed price would be a $40-per-tonne decrease from Ottawa's initially mandated $170-per-tonne tax by 2030."I know industry is getting a bit impatient. Albertans are getting a little bit impatient,” Smith said in Ottawa on May 8 after telling Albertans she was confident a deal would be reached in the coming "days." .A West Coast pipeline is her primary argument for Alberta remaining in Canada amidst the ongoing Alberta independence movement, as she attempts to show Albertans that a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada can work. The reported deadlines "conveniently" align with key dates in Alberta politics, as the national interest dealines comes 18 days before the expected independence referendum on Oct. 19, and the approval deadline is 48 days prior to Alberta's next scheduled general election on Oct. 28, 2027. Smith and Carney are scheduled to meet in Calgary on Friday to publicly finalize the agreement.
