Carney, Smith reach energy agreement that could see pipeline construction start in 2027
The pact would raise Alberta’s industrial carbon price and lets the province seek federal approval for a West Coast pipeline by July 1.
- On Friday in Calgary, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a climate and energy agreement enabling West Coast oil pipeline construction as early as September 2027, with Alberta submitting a proposal by July 1 and federal designation by Oct. 1.
- Building on a November memorandum of understanding, the agreement follows last week's federal proposal to accelerate major project approvals by streamlining regulatory timelines and assessments for infrastructure like pipelines.
- Alberta will serve as the project's proponent with no private sector route yet identified, while both governments committed to consulting Indigenous peoples and engaging British Columbia on the pipeline application.
- Officials project the pipeline could deliver oil by 2033 or 2034, while the agreement raises Alberta's industrial carbon price to $130 effective and $140 headline per tonne by 2040, with both projects mutually dependent.
- The negotiated carbon prices fall below the $170 per tonne originally projected for 2030, potentially requiring federal flexibility with other provinces, as Carney announced Thursday a national grid-doubling strategy by 2050 with expanded natural gas power.
58 Articles
58 Articles
Canada takes key step towards new oil pipeline to serve Asia markets
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the leader of Canada’s oil-rich Alberta province took a major step on Friday towards building an oil pipeline that could substantially increase crude exports to Asia. Expanding overseas energy exports has emerged as a key part of Carney’s strategy to reduce Canada’s economic reliance on the US, but plans for a new pipeline are facing stiff resistance over environmental concerns. Alberta’s conservative Premier Danie…
Carney, Smith sign carbon price deal, suggest 2027 pipeline
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday they’re eyeing a fall 2027 start date for construction of a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast. It’s part of a plan to accomplish the remaining steps of the landmark energy deal they signed last fall. There is to be a new scheme for carbon emissions pricing in Alberta, and a commitment from Carney to declare the pipeline as being in the national interest by October of …
Carson Jerema: Carney ensnares Danielle Smith in pipeline blackmail
The "plan" to approve a pipeline, which was detailed by the federal and Alberta governments on Friday, is a perfect example, not of federal-provincial co-operation, but of why Canada can't build infrastructure. Rather than being subject to market demand, the decision to build or not to build is being driven entirely by politics.
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