Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Calgary Stampede festival in Alberta
Letter from Canada: The coming energy war
Conflict between the federal government and Alberta’s new premier seems inevitable
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wasted no time during her election victory speech in the early hours of 30 May in throwing down the gauntlet to Ottawa about two of its proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction programmes: a net-zero power grid by 2035, and an oil and gas sector emissions cap in 2030, with drafts to be released shortly and in the autumn, respectively. “As premier, I cannot under any circumstances allow these contemplated federal policies to be inflicted upon Albertans,” she declared. “I simply cannot, and I will not.” “There is a big fight coming up” Smith, Alberta premier In contrast, the two federal ministers responsible for the policies attempted to turn down
Also in this section
28 January 2026
The alliance looks to bolster market management credibility by bringing greater clarity and unity to output cuts and producer capacity later in 2026
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
