Alberta Premier Smith to Announce Next Steps for Pipeline Proposal on July 2

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at the Global Energy Show in Calgary on June 9, 2026. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntoshAlberta Premier Danielle Smith will announce her government’s next moves related to a new proposed oil pipeline to the West Coast on July 2.Smith’s press secretary Sam Blackett said in a statement to The Epoch Times on June 30 that she would make a “major announcement” around the proposed pipeline to bring 1 million barrels of oil a day to British Columbia.Along with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the federal government and Alberta on the proposed project in November 2025, Smith had pledged to submit Alberta’s pipeline plan to the Major Project’s Office (MPO) for expedited review by July 1, 2026. The plan includes commitments by Alberta to pair the proposed pipeline with a carbon capture project, and increase the province’s industrial carbon tax.In May 2026, Alberta and Ottawa announced a deal to push back the date for an effective industrial carbon price of $130 a tonne by a decade to 2040. The Liberal government had previously proposed to increase it to $170 per tonne by 2030, but Smith had rejected this rate and said it would limit oil and gas production.Smith said that Ottawa and Alberta also had plans to finalize agreements around clean energy regulations, the proposed oil and gas emissions cap, and impact assessment cooperation on methane equivalency this year. The two governments will also work together to advance the Oil Sands Alliance carbon capture project, which would be built alongside the pipeline to capture carbon emissions.The Alberta government hopes the pipeline would be completed no later than 2034.However, the construction of the pipeline is dependent on a private-sector proponent stepping forward. Smith has said a proponent for the pipeline would likely come when there is “some certainty” that it will get built.Carney was asked about the pipeline on June 30, and said after Alberta submits its plan there will be a “process that takes a few months until October before a decision is made” about whether to refer the project to the MPO.“I’m up to speed on developments. Our teams speak often and I speak with the premier frequently,” he said.Carney also told reporters in French that he is “waiting for there to be a private-sector proponent,” as this was part of the MOU that Alberta and Ottawa signed.