Smith, Freeland to announce new Dow investment in Alberta

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be announcing a new investment by Dow into the province’s Industrial Heartland on Wednesday.

Both government officials will be joined by Jim Fitterling, chair and CEO of Dow.

This comes after Smith invoked the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act on Monday, legislation the province has threatened to use to push back on Ottawa’s proposed clean energy regulations.

The federal government told reporters on Tuesday that it won’t take Alberta to court over the Sovereignty Act.

Both Alberta and Ottawa have been negotiating over the draft regulations, which will require provinces to net-zero their energy grids by 2035.

Smith has repeatedly said the province tried to work collaboratively with the federal government to make the province’s electricity grid net zero by 2050 instead. She said Ottawa’s target of 2035 is “unachievable” and will make electricity unaffordable for Albertans.

Smith also said the clean energy regulations disregard Section 92 of the Constitution Act, which says provincial matters fall under provincial jurisdiction.

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Alberta electricity providers, business groups unpacking implications of Sovereignty Act

–With files from Adam MacVicar, Global News.

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