On Thursday, May 14, Prime Minister Mark Carney released the federal government’s National Electricity Strategy, “Powering Canada Strong,” outlining a plan to double the country’s grid capacity by 2050 and signalling a loosening of the Trudeau-era Clean Electricity Regulations to accommodate natural gas. The following day, Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith appeared together in Calgary to sign the Implementation Agreement giving effect to the Memorandum of Understanding the two governments had reached in November 2025.
The agreement covers a revised industrial carbon pricing framework, a pathway for a new west coast oil pipeline (with Alberta to submit its proposal to the Major Projects Office by July 1), commitments on the Pathways carbon capture and storage project, streamlined environmental assessment, and an unconditional exemption for Alberta from the Clean Electricity Regulations. This week, we break down what it means.
