Smith scores a victory as Ottawa retreats from a decade of meddling

The Alberta-Ottawa MOU signed Thursday is about far more than pipelines, electricity rules and carbon taxes.

Beyond the details, the agreement actually returns legitimate provincial power to Alberta.

Ottawa makes a huge retreat from the bigfoot policy-making that has caused so much conflict and economic damage.

You won’t find it anywhere in the wording but, essentially, Prime Minister Mark Carney recognized provincial jurisdiction across the energy economy within Alberta.

That seismic shift in federal strategy is why Premier Danielle Smith looked and sounded so delighted as the deal rolled out .

The industrial carbon levy will be set and collected only by the province, with the agreement to eventually raise it to $130 per tonne.

Success in carbon capture is tied to getting approv