Alberta government seeks court ruling on constitutionality of Ottawas clean electricity plan [Video]

Alberta’s government is seeking a court ruling on the constitutionality of Ottawa’s clean electricity grid regulations.

The regulations, finalized late last year, lay out a plan to decarbonize electricity grids across Canada by 2050.

Premier Danielle Smith, who invoked her controversial sovereignty act for the first time in 2023 against draft versions of the regulations that aimed for a clean grid by 2035, says regardless of the timeline, Ottawa’s goals are too far-fetched and are a breach of provincial jurisdiction.

At a news conference Thursday announcing the court action, Smith said the regulations will only harm the affordability and reliability of Alberta’s electricity grid, which is largely powered through natural gas.

“This is about protecting the lives and livelihoods of Albertans,” Smith said, saying the regulations would increase electricity costs by over 30 per cent.

Abandoning the regulations was also one of nine demands Smith laid out for the next …