Here's how Alberta plans to approach energy costs, transition

Energy was a major theme in Alberta's throne speech as the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) acknowledged the high cost of electricity while signalling strategies it will pursue to improve affordability and modernize the province’s power grid.

The speech promised more investment in carbon capture, storage and utilization along with nuclear and geothermal energy as paths to a more robust and modern power grid.

It also promised future incentives to homeowners to install solar panels to relieve pressure on the grid during peak demand.

“It is the Alberta government’s position that our world will have little hope of meaningfully reducing carbon emissions without Alberta multiplying its natural gas and other energy exports to Asia and other jurisdictions to replace the world’s use of coal, wood and other high-emitting sources for energy,” said Lt.-Gov. Salma Lahkani, speaking on behalf of the UCP government.

The speech also said several initiatives and legislation under the province’s Sovereignty Act are being prepared to push back against federal emissions targets and energy policies. It comes as the Liberal government finds itself caught between its climate goals and the pinch of inflation felt across the country.

“Liberals going into the next election may slow down or even pause or diminish the carbon tax for particularly hard-hit Canadians and those in rural communities I think have a particularly strong case to make there,” said Lori Williams, a professor of political science at Mount Royal University.