Edmonton (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Environment and Protected Areas Minister Grant Hunter have welcomed the federal government’s decision to scrap its electric vehicle mandate, calling the move a significant win for Albertans and a reversal of a policy the province had strongly opposed.
In a joint statement, Smith and Hunter said Alberta had consistently argued that the federal EV policy would raise costs for consumers and businesses while placing additional pressure on provincial electricity infrastructure.
The Alberta government had previously identified the federal EV mandate among nine federal laws and policies it considered harmful to the province’s economy and provincial jurisdiction. According to the two ministers, the province’s continued opposition contributed to Ottawa’s decision to withdraw the policy.
Smith and Hunter described the mandate as impractical and unaffordable, arguing that governments should establish environmental targets without dictating the technology consumers must use.
They said Albertans should retain the freedom to select vehicles based on their household needs, business requirements and budgets. The ministers also stressed that Alberta supports efforts to reduce transportation-related emissions but believes environmental policies should remain achievable and technology-neutral.
The statement pointed to Alberta’s emissions record as evidence that reductions can be achieved without compromising economic activity. The province said overall emissions have dropped 9 per cent since 2019, while transportation emissions have declined 17 per cent during the same period.
The ministers also linked the EV mandate decision to several other federal policy changes involving Alberta. These include Ottawa’s decision not to proceed with a federal oil and gas emissions cap, putting the federal Clean Electricity Regulations on hold, an agreement in principle allowing Alberta to continue regulating methane under its existing system, an agreement aimed at streamlining project assessments and the removal of greenwashing provisions from the Competition Act.
Despite welcoming the federal decision, Alberta said it would continue to scrutinize Ottawa’s next steps. Smith and Hunter said the province would examine proposed replacement vehicle-emissions regulations to determine whether they could effectively reintroduce similar requirements through another policy.
The ministers described the federal reversal as an important development in relations between Ottawa and Alberta, while acknowledging that disagreements between the two governments remain.
They reiterated that Alberta would continue advocating for environmental policies that reduce emissions while allowing consumers, businesses and manufacturers to determine which technologies best meet those goals.
