By Canadian Press

Sovereignty act may be used to fight 2035 net-zero electricity plan: Alberta premier

Sep 28, 2023 | 12:01 PM

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she would use her province’s sovereignty act as a last resort to challenge any attempt by the federal government to impost a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.

Smith says achieving net-zero 12 years from now is not realistic, adding that it could lead to power blackouts because Alberta wouldn’t have a reliable source of baseload power such as natural gas.

Smith’s government is arguing for a net-zero grid by 2050, and has a working group discussing the issue with federal counterparts.

However, Smith says as a last resort, her government is drafting a motion to reject Ottawa’s deadline under the sovereignty act, which her government passed as her signature legislation when she took over as premier last fall.

The act grants the province the power to reject federal rules and programs it deems to be unconstitutionally interfering in areas of province responsibility, such as energy development.

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The act’s legal validity has not been tested in court, and Smith says she hopes she never has to use it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2023.

The Canadian Press