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
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
