Overview

• Alberta has referred the constitutionality of Canada’s Clean Electricity Regulations to the Alberta Court of Appeal for a nonbinding opinion.
• Premier Danielle Smith argues the regulations unlawfully encroach on provincial jurisdiction and jeopardize power affordability and reliability.
• The regulations, finalized in December 2024 after three years of consultation, set 2035 limits on fossil fuel emissions and aim for a net-zero electricity grid by 2050.
• Smith previously issued nine demands to Prime Minister Mark Carney, including scrapping the regulations, warning of a potential national unity crisis.
• The federal government has shown no indication of altering the regulations despite Alberta's legal and political opposition.