Alberta Minute: Energy Summit, Highway Twinning, and Legislature Session Concludes

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

This Week In Alberta:

• Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean will attend the Japan Energy Summit in Tokyo to promote Alberta's energy export potential. Japan recently announced subsidies for low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia to reduce reliance on higher-carbon energy sources. Alberta is collaborating with Japanese companies to supply ammonia for electricity generation as part of Japan's shift from coal. The summit, running from June 3rd to 5th, aims to foster collaboration on energy security and decarbonization.
  
  
• The Province plans to renew its efforts to attract businesses to develop eateries and shops at rest stops. In 2022, an initial call for proposals for 18 rest stops received only one response - and it was non-compliant. Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen said a new approach will involve smaller, regional RFPs. An example of the desired model is Red Deer County's Junction 42, which attracts over 300,000 visitors annually.
  
  
• Renovations to the water feature on the Alberta legislature grounds are progressing, with the main pool and dome fountain set to open this summer. The renovations include making the pool shallower, adding tactile strips for easier access, and installing internal sensors for water cleanliness. The north water feature, including a spray park, will open next year. These upgrades are being done due to mechanical and filtration issues that caused water loss and age-related deterioration in the previous system.

Last Week In Alberta:

• The spring session of the Alberta legislature concluded with 13 new government bills introduced. Some of the highlights include Bill 11, which paves the way for a new provincewide police agency, Bill 17, which establishes the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence, Bill 19, which changes utility franchise fee calculations, Bill 18, which ensures provincial approval for deals with the federal government, and Bill 20, which allows for municipal political parties. The final day of the session also marked former Premier Rachel Notley’s last sitting as NDP leader. When the Legislature reconvenes in October, the NDP will have a newly elected leader at the helm.
  
  
• Construction has begun on a major highway twinning project in southern Alberta, specifically a 46-kilometre stretch of Highway 3 between Taber and west of Burdett, set to be completed by summer 2026. This multi-year project, part of an eight-phase plan to twin 215 kilometers of Highway 3, aims to enhance the region's capacity for transporting goods, particularly benefiting the agri-business sector. The entire project is budgeted at $170 million, with several other phases still in the design or planning stages.
  
  
• Premier Danielle Smith visited inmates at the Red Deer remand centre to discuss their struggles with addiction and its impact on their incarceration, taking to social media to call the experience a humbling one. She emphasized the importance of providing support for inmates to overcome addiction upon their release. The Alberta government partnered with Red Deer RCMP in 2022 to offer immediate access to opioid addiction treatment for those arrested. The initiative includes the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program, allowing arrested individuals to consult with addiction physicians.

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