Alberta Premier Danielle Smith proposed the establishment of a “bilateral” panel with Ottawa to work out issues over emissions reduction infrastructure and timelines to achieve Canada’s net-zero goals..It comes after a long-touted meeting with Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc in Calgary on Monday. Also in attendance were Alberta’s newly-minted Energy Minister Brian Jean and Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz..In a statement following the meeting, Smith described the consultations as “very constructive.”.Although she said she wanted to “collaborate” with Ottawa on emissions issues, “we told them we believed the federal government’s previously proposed oil and natural gas emissions cap and 2035 net-zero power grid regulations would damage the Alberta economy, cause significant job losses and scare away billions in investment dollars.”.In addition to oil and gas, Smith said acceleration of a regulatory regime for small modular nuclear reactors was on the table, along with proposals to work with British Columbia — which wasn’t at the meeting — to increase LNG exports to international markets. .Smith will be in Whistler June 26 for the Western Premiers Conference, where the issue is bound to come up along with a proposal to build a utility corridor to Hudson’s Bay..At the same time, Smith said she made clear her “lines in the sand” with respect to Alberta’s position on reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 — not 2035..“Our delegation also made clear the federal government must not unilaterally legislate any oil and natural gas emissions cap or electricity regulations impacting these areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction without Alberta’s approval,” she said..At this point, the ball is back in Ottawa’s court..“The federal ministers committed to take Alberta’s working group proposal back to the federal government for a prompt response in the coming weeks,” Smith said..“I look forward to hearing that response and continuing this critical negotiation and dialogue.”
