Overview
- A federal–provincial agreement announced Friday in Calgary sets Alberta’s effective industrial carbon price on a path to C$130 per tonne by 2040 and lays out a pipeline process that includes an application to the Major Projects Office by July 1 and a national‑interest designation target of Oct. 1.
- Pipeline approval and federal backing hinge on progress toward the Pathways carbon‑capture and storage hub, while no private company has been named to build or own the line and Alberta is acting as the proponent for now.
- Ottawa granted Alberta an exemption from Canada’s Clean Electricity Regulations and accepted headline price milestones that depart from the earlier federal C$170‑by‑2030 plan, drawing warnings from climate analysts that the weaker timetable could raise emissions.
- B.C. leaders and many Indigenous and environmental groups oppose a West Coast oil route, with Coastal First Nations saying they will not allow a pipeline or oil tankers on the North Coast and Premier David Eby criticizing the deal’s approach.
- The governments outlined a tentative construction start as early as fall 2027 with oil flow by 2033–34, a timeline supporters say could create jobs and expand access to Asian markets while critics question the economics and environmental risks.