The Alberta government on Tuesday pointed to a new federal advisory committee report that it said was evidence the Canadian government should abandon its “reckless” 2035 clean electricity target.
But the chair of the committee that produced the report said its recommendations are aimed at tempering the political rhetoric around clean energy and helping Ottawa and the provinces find common ground.
The federally appointed Canadian Electricity Advisory Committee, a group made up of industry leaders, Indigenous leaders and executives, released a report Monday with recommendations on how Ottawa can achieve its goal of decarbonizing Canada’s electricity grid.
In a draft clean electricity regulation released earlier this year, the federal government set a target date of 2035 for domestic power producers to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Alberta and Saskatchewan, which have limited access to clean hydroelectric power and still rely heavily on natural gas for electricity production, both say that date is unattainable.
Alberta has seen rapid expansion of wind and solar power in recent years, but the province says it still needs natural gas to ensure a reliable and affordable electricity supply because of the intermittent nature of renewable generation.
There are options such as carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions from natural gas generation, but Alberta says it will take time to implement them.
Alberta aims for 2050
The state says it will instead work toward a net-zero electricity grid by 2050.
The Canadian Electricity Advisory Board acknowledged in its report that decarbonizing electricity production will be a “daunting” challenge for jurisdictions like Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The council recommended that these states receive targeted financial support from the federal government, suggesting that investment tax credits for emissions-reducing technologies should be “biased” to jurisdictions that most need help with decarbonization.
The council also recommended the federal government be “flexible” on some of its expectations regarding these states.
“We think it’s possible to get to the 2050 end goal. … We’re not tied to a specific time frame,” Philip Dansky, founder of Dansky Energy & Climate Solutions and chairman of the federal advisory committee, said in an interview.
“It doesn’t say it has to be 100% done by 2035. I think there’s a little bit of leeway.”
Still, Dansky said the energy transition “is happening whether we want it to or not” and that all stakeholders needed to work together in a “thoughtful and pragmatic way”.
“On the one hand, I don’t think we should stick to absolute deadlines. On the other hand, I don’t think we should use that leeway to get in the way of too much (of what needs to be done).”
The Alberta government issued a statement on Tuesday following the release of the advisory report, saying it supports the province’s position that “one-size-fits-all” electricity regulation is unrealistic and set to fail.
“We call on the federal government to listen to this report and the many concerns raised by Canadians, industry and provinces across the country,” the ministry said. “Abandon the reckless 2035 target and work with us to build a modern, reliable and affordable electricity grid that truly serves Canadians.”
Speaking at an energy sector conference in Calgary on Tuesday, Premier Daniel Smith did not mention electricity specifically but said attempts by the federal government to codify climate targets into law, such as proposing emissions caps on the oil and gas sector, are unhelpful.
“It’s just politics,” Wilkinson says.
“When it comes to the issue of reducing emissions, we can get this done,” she said, adding that Alberta’s largest companies have their own commitments to reach net zero by 2050 and are exploring technologies that can help them get there, but it will take time.
“There is no need for the federal government to create uncertainty by setting arbitrary timelines that are impossible to achieve.”
Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday that Alberta’s response to the advisory report is “pure politics.”
He said the federal government is listening to Alberta and Saskatchewan’s concerns about the need for flexibility and expects to release updated clean electricity rules later this year.
“What the (advisory committee) report says is that we need to move toward a clean grid, and we need to do it in a way that reflects concerns about affordability and reliability,” Wilkinson said.
“This is a good report. It’s exactly what we’ve been working towards for a long time.”
