Alberta government says advisory report shows federal electricity targets are ‘reckless’

The Alberta government says the findings of a new report from a federal advisory committee are proof that Ottawa should abandon its “reckless” 2035 clean electricity targets.

The federally appointed Canada Electricity Advisory Council — a group made up of industry leaders, Indigenous leaders and executives — released a report Monday with suggestions on how Ottawa can accomplish its goal of decarbonizing the country’s electricity grid.

In the report, the council says decarbonizing the grid is a daunting challenge in jurisdictions like Alberta and Saskatchewan, where fossil fuels still make up the majority of electricity generating capacity.

The council says these provinces will need both federal financial support and “flexibility” around expectations in order to decarbonize their grids.

Alberta has long said that it can’t achieve a net-zero grid by 2035, but will work toward a 2050 target instead.

The province said Tuesday the advisory council’s report supports its stance that “one-size-fits-all” electricity regulations are unrealistic and setting it up for failure.

2:08 Alberta government opposes Ottawa’s new green electricity plan