Pipelines and Turbines

In late 2025, the political landscape of Canadian energy shifted overnight. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that promises to trade federal climate policy concessions for Alberta’s cooperation on a massive scale. It’s being called a "Grand Bargain" that slices through the Gordian knot of energy and climate policy. But is it a breakthrough or a house of cards?

Join energy and climate experts Jason Switzer, Leor Rotchild, and Janet Annesley as they launch a special multi-part series dedicated to dissecting this seismic agreement. Moving past the "hot takes," Jason, Leor and Janet provide their "cold takes"—sober, evidence-based analysis on what this deal actually means for investors, industry, and Canada’s net-zero targets.

In this series premiere, the team explores:

• Who did the "giving" and who did the "getting:" The Feds got movement on carbon capture and data sovereignty, while Alberta got concessions on environmental regulations like the tanker ban and the oil and gas emissions cap.
• Electricity & grid integration: What shelving the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) and the Oil and Gas Emissions Cap could mean for carbon markets, and the hard choices behind grid interties.
• The AI data centre bonanza: Can Alberta actually power the AI demand surge without upending affordability and Canada's climate goals? 
• Carbon pricing & regulation: A look at the aggressive April 1, 2026, deadline for equivalency agreements on methane and carbon pricing.
• Nation and First Nations building: Despite the "nation-building" rhetoric, Indigenous nations and BC government were left out of the MOU formulation. How can future discussions bring them in and is Indigenous co-ownership of major projects a true path toward reconciliation.

Whether you're an industry stakeholder, a policy wonk, or an engaged citizen, this series offers the deep-dive expertise needed to navigate the evolving "art of the deal" in Canadian climate policy.

Following the 2023 federal budget release,  Jason Switzer and Janet Annesley sat down with Michael Bernstein (Executive Director, Clean Prosperity) to share their reactions and recommendations and reflect on the cleantech investment landscape in Canada vs. the US.

Links Referenced
- Clean Prosperity's Reaction to the 2023 Federal Budget
- Clean Prosperity's 2023 Budget Recommendations
- CleanProsperity.ca
- Robert Downey Jr. joins the dept of energy’s clean energy corp

With star-studded climate drama Extrapolations about to launch on Apple TV, Jason and Leor chat with guest Andrew Robinson (​Principal, Sustainability Strategy and Engagement, Green Spark Group)  about the ongoing local and global efforts to advance the environmental sustainability of film and TV production.

Websites referenced:
Wearealbert.org
greensparkgroup.com

This week the P&T crew discuss how the war in eastern Europe has shifted the global energy market, what this means for LNG markets and the Canadian energy industry, cracking the nut that is CCUS, and whether O&G companies were ever really serious about their renewable energy investments.

CBSR's Executive Director, Leor Rotchild, was joined by Dominic Waughray, Executive Vice President, Imperatives, from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Geoff Pegg, Head of Sustainability & Environment from TELUS, and Andrea Harris, Vice President, Impact Strategy from Vancity, who shared key sustainability trends, insights, and actionable takeaways for Canadian companies.

This week P&T is excited to introduce new host Janet Annesley, Chief Sustainability Officer at Kiwetinohk Energy and former chief of staff to Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. In this episode, Jason, Janet and Leor break down Just Transition, discuss the upcoming federal budget and explore the impact that both will have on Alberta's economy.

P & T welcomes guest Janet Annesley to review some of the most important moments of 2022 and share their predictions and things to watch for the new year.