Alberta Premier Smith unlikely to create Crown corporation for natural gas pipelines

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Saturday it is unlikely her government will create a Crown corporation to build out natural gas pipelines in the province, moving away from a leaked cabinet report that recommended the approach.

A report prepared for Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean recommended the province move forward with legislation and establish Crown corporations to spur new natural gas transmission lines to meet demand for oil production and artificial intelligence data centres. The document, labeled a cabinet report and bearing the Alberta government logo, was scheduled for presentation to a cabinet policy committee on September 10.

Speaking on her provincewide radio call-in program Saturday, Smith said the government has heard from dozens of companies concerned about insufficient natural gas access. Smith said TC Energy holds a "monopoly" over the natural gas market in Alberta and that her government wants to see more competition. "I think there is enough private-sector interest to make public-sector intervention unnecessary," Smith said, adding that the government is exploring ways to get infrastructure projects moving.

Smith said limited natural gas supply is what drives up Albertans' energy bills and dismissed concerns that government intervention could push prices higher. As HighOnCity reported in June, Alberta has pitched cheap natural gas to lure data centre investment to the province.