is aiming to turn Canada’s power grid net-zero by 2035, a goal that the premier of oil and gas-producing Alberta says she will defy, charging it is unrealistic before 2050.
Progress in Alberta is critical to Trudeau’s chances of electrifying Canada’s vehicles and buildings with clean power, the backbone of global efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and slow climate change. Ottawa plans to unveil regulations this summer forcing power generators to move to net-zero.Alberta, which generates the third-most electricity among provinces, produced half of Canada’s emissions from generation in 2020.
“I’m optimistic that we’re going to get close for 2035,” said Shana Boyd, Heartland’s vice president of energy transition, which currently produces all of its electricity from burning natural gas. “It’s going to require a lot of work and a lot of pieces to fall into place.”For Heartland, reaching net-zero depends on how quickly it can build and replicate facilities that use hydrogen to produce electricity and sequester the carbon, Boyd said.