Fury as Alberta cuts renewables during Canada’s worst fire season ever. Critics of the policy expressed concern that the decision will weaken investor confidence in solar and wind energy in the region. A decision by Canada’s largest oil- and gas-producing province to halt new wind and solar projects has prompted disbelief among environmental groups and economists. The move comes as the country struggles with its worst wildfire season on record, a situation that experts agree is worsened by the climate crisis and a reliance on fossil fuels. Alberta last week announceda six-month moratorium on large solar and wind projects so it can review policies surrounding the projects’ construction and impact on the power grid, as well as rules for their eventual decommissioning. These are all negotiable points — they’re draft regulations, after all. But that requires the Alberta government to actually be interested in negotiating on matters of substance rather than merely grandstanding on principle. Whether Smith wants to admit it or not, that tide is only going to get stronger. Alberta’s hostility towards the federal government’s decarbonization efforts will cost it in terms of its international reputation (hello,negative Guardian story), its ability to attract talent and capital, and its appeal to young people who might be considering it as a potential home. It has already cost jobs and investment in its renewable energy sector, and it will almost certainly deter other investments in related areas of the cleantech economy. Even the oil and gas industry, which theoretically needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions if it wants to remain economically viable over the longer term, may come to rue this decision. Since then, provincial and federal ministers have sparred over the controversial decision, exposing tensions between Alberta, which favours natural gas for power generation, and the governing Liberals, who have the broader ambition to decarbonize electrical grids across the country by 2035On Tuesday, the federalgovernment unveiled its initial plans to transition to clean energy nationwide, ahead of its Clean Energy Strategy in 2024. Acknowledging provinces’ responsibility for electricity infrastructure and delivery, the government also highlighted its own federal authority over environmental regulations and “strategic investments” to attain broader climate goals. “This came as a complete shock to the industry. And it’s really a broader shock to all industries in Alberta, for a government to take such a drastic action without any consultation,” said Jorden Dye, acting director of Business Renewables CentreCanada.Provincial officials have expressed concern over the rapid pace of investment and development of renewable-energy projects in the province – one of the sunniest and windiest regions of the country.But Dye says that the province has successfully balanced tensions between the speed of development and residents’ concerns for decades. “We’ve conducted regulatory reviews for both coal bed methane production and the oil sands industry for years – all without pausing development,” he said, adding that the decision even hurts the oil and gas industry – an increasingly large player in the province’s renewables market. “I’ve had many conversations over the last week, ranging from CFOs of oil and gas companies to my rural Alberta farming family. And no one can understand why this drastic action was taken.    https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/08/14/opinion/danielle-smith-cant-do-attitude-climate-change-will-cost-alberta?nih=2fde8cfb613fd3e898205d1dab47f625&utm_source=National+Observer&utm_campaign=0fe5ac9e52-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_08_12_01_52&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cacd0f141f-0fe5ac9e52-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D