Of course, this doesn’t have to be all-out war. The federal government is receiving feedback on its draft regulations, and they aren’t necessarily what will be put into law. Ottawa and the provinces could figure it out like grownups. There is potential common ground, including on a drive toward more nuclear power and greater power-sharing, or interties, between provinces.
Alberta took the further step of saying the regulations put consumers and businesses at risk of blackouts and surging power rates. That assessment from the agency in charge of planning and running Alberta’s electricity network has been criticized for its messaging being far too in line with the governing party’s.
Back in Canada, Ottawa is attempting to regulate a realm that’s not only one of provincial jurisdiction, but is also where provincial – not federal governments – pay the political price for any negative consequences, including spikes in electricity costs. A key example of this is the Ontario Liberals’ electoral loss in 2018, which came in part because of missteps on the electricity file.