Federal government needs to rethink net-zero

By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

On Aug. 10, the federal government released a draft of its proposed Clean Electricity Regulations, which aim to create a net-zero power grid across Canada by 2035.

With the wellbeing of Albertans continuing to be our United Conservative government’s top priority, our position on this plan remains the same: the proposed regulations are unconstitutional, irresponsible, and unaffordable.

If the federal government has its way, Albertans will be at risk for soaring costs and blackouts during hot summer days, and cold winter nights. That’s why we have put Ottawa on notice.

We have a better path forward, one that doesn’t threaten families with absurd costs and blackouts – a plan that allows Alberta to chart its own path, as is our Constitutional right, to ensuring we have additional reliable and affordable electricity brought onto our grid that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We will simply will not allow the federal government to drive up the cost of power for Albertans or put the integrity of our grid at risk.

We have heard from numerous businesses and policy experts expressing serious concerns about Ottawa’s plans. Just this past week, Business Council of Alberta president Adam Legge joined 48 of Alberta’s top CEOs and entrepreneurs who felt the need to trek to Ottawa to urge the Trudeau Liberals to take a regional approach. Legge summarized the federal government’s irresponsible plans best, saying that, “the notion of having a one-size-fits-all electricity regulation for a country this big, this vast, this different, is not realistic … let’s create a regionalized approach to what is a very regional-specific challenge.”

Canadians across the country need to know that Ottawa’s proposed regulations would make electricity unaffordable and unreliable – and people need to act now and push the federal government to make changes and find a more affordable path forward.

Join us in the fight to keep Alberta and Canada’s electricity affordable and reliable by visiting TelltheFeds.ca. Make your voice heard, because no one wants to get left in the dark!

(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)