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Redford selected as new premier, will send transmission projects "back to the drawing board"

Published Monday, 3 October 2011 by Michael Styczen, P.Eng

Environmental, Energy and Resources Law

Early Sunday, the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party selected

Alison Redford, a Calgary human rights lawyer and former provincial Justice minister, as the party's new leader.  Redford is now the premier-designate, and will be formally sworn in as premier (along with her new cabinet yet to be named) shortly.
 
With respect to energy, she has made a number of statements about how Alberta should be a worldwide energy leader.  Early in her campaign, she set out a three-part vision for Canada as an energy leader:
 
My Canadian energy strategy focuses on three main themes: making Alberta (i) the global leader in sustainable hydrocarbon production and (ii) a leader in partnerships for renewable energy technologies and achieving this by (iii) investing in our most precious resource of all: people. 
 
During the leadership campaign, she spoke out on a number of energy issues, stating:
 
  • that Alberta should be a leader in both technical innovation and brain capital,
  • that Alberta should focus on creating state of the art solutions for sustainable hydrocarbon production,
  • that Albertans should prepare for a future after hydrocarbons, including establishing a renewable energy authority to lead government involvement,
  • that it is imperative that Alberta focus on developing export markets beyond the United States, particularly to Asia, including full support for pipeline infrastructure to the Pacific coast, and
  • that Alberta continue to streamline regulatory processes, in particular to avoid undue federal interference and avoid ensure effective joint responsibility where responsibilities overlap
 
Redford had previously expressed concerns about Bill 50, which had permitted the government to fast-track certain transmission line projects within the province.  In an interview with a Calgary radio station on Monday morning, she stated that certain transmission projects "will be sent back to the drawing board".

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