Weekly Roundup - Alberta Edition
PM Carney and Premier Smith Advance West Coast Pipeline
It's day one of the Calgary Stampede and Premier Danielle Smith is riding into the festivities on the heels of one of the biggest announcements of her tenure. Yesterday, the Alberta government formally submitted its application to the federal Major Projects Office, unveiling plans for an export route that would largely follow the existing Trans Mountain corridor from Bruderheim, northeast of Edmonton, to the Roberts Bank terminal in Delta, B.C. Estimated to cost between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion, the project would be jointly backed by the Alberta and federal governments, with the federally owned Trans Mountain Corporation and Pembina Pipeline Corporation leading development.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the project is part of a broader effort to position the country as "the global supplier of choice for our allies and partners around the world." Smith said it could more than double Alberta's export capacity and unlock hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity. The announcement follows a political agreement between Ottawa and British Columbia that keeps the North Coast tanker ban in place while clearing the path for a southern route. Under the deal, British Columbia has agreed not to challenge a federally approved pipeline in court, although Premier David Eby was clear that his government is not endorsing the project.
The B.C. deal commits Ottawa to $10 billion in infrastructure upgrades at Roberts Bank, which needs two new loading berths to handle large tankers. Ottawa also agreed to carry the financial risk of any spill and to compensate B.C. for hosting the line. The southern route settles a question that has hung over the project for a year. Smith had favoured a northern line to the Prince Rupert area, but that option died Thursday morning when Carney and Premier Eby announced the tanker ban would remain in place. Now Premier Smith says "this route offers the fastest, most cost-effective path to expanding Canada's energy exports."
Powering Alberta's AI Ambitions
Alberta's push to become a North American hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure took a step forward this week as Pembina Pipeline, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor Asset Management approved construction of the $4.6-billion Greenlight Electricity Centre in Sturgeon County. The 932-megawatt natural gas-fired facility will provide dedicated power for a large-scale data centre, with operations expected to begin in 2030. The project reflects the province's "bring your own generation" approach to attracting hyperscale data centres, requiring developers to supply their own electricity rather than drawing from Alberta's existing grid. Alberta’s Premier said the model will support economic growth while limiting pressure on the province's power system, crediting last year's federal-provincial energy agreement with creating the conditions needed to move the investment forward.
Coal Petition Comes Up Short
A high-profile effort to halt new coal mining in Alberta's Eastern Slopes is officially over after Elections Alberta rejected Corb Lund's Water Not Coal petition. Although organizers collected more than 196,000 signatures, a statistical verification process reduced the total to 172,088 valid signatures after duplicate entries, incomplete information and other validation issues were removed - below the 177,732 threshold required for a successful citizen initiative. The petition called for a ban on new coal mining projects, including Northback's proposed Grassy Mountain mine. While the campaign generated significant public attention, the Premier had already indicated there would not have been enough time to place the question on Alberta's Oct. 19 referendum ballot, even if the petition had been certified.
The New West Team is ready to guide clients through this uncertain time in Canadian politics.
