Our Natural resources have created good jobs and helped Alberta become a global energy leader

As Albertans, we are blessed to live in a province rich with natural resources. For decades, these resources have created good jobs and helped Alberta become a global energy leader. Our government understands that these resources need fresh ideas and funding to support our families, workers, and future generations.
That’s why our government is investing $12.7 million to support three new energy projects. These projects will make our power grid stronger, safely store carbon dioxide underground, and extract important metals from the earth that are needed to power the world – all while using Alberta’s responsibly developed resources.
One project being support is the Marguerite Lake Compressed Air Energy Storage Demonstration Project. Alberta’s government is investing $5 million to help Cache Power Corporation build a system that stores extra electricity as compressed air underground that can be used to make more power when demand is high during Alberta’s cold winters or hot summers.
Another project will help LithiumBank Resources develop technology to extract lithium, an important battery metal, from underground salt waters in northern Alberta. With a $3.9 million investment, Alberta can make battery-grade lithium without the environmental impact of open-pit mining.
The third project, led by Carbon Management Canada, will receive $3.8 million to test a new monitoring system to safely and affordably store carbon dioxide underground. Carbon dioxide can be used for enhanced oil recovery to help get more oil from older oil fields. Injecting CO2 raises pressure and thins the oil, so it flows more easily to the wells. This project will help grow Alberta’s carbon capture, utilization, and storage potential, keeping our energy sector and reputation for environmental sustainability strong, attracting further investment.
Together, these three projects represent a combined value of $35 million, driving new ideas and helping Alberta stay competitive in a changing global economy. Our government is committed to a strong energy sector and a prosperous Alberta – one that creates jobs and opportunities for all Albertans.
As we invest in the future of energy, we are also looking at ways to modernize how we support key industries through smarter policy. That is why, Alberta’s government is consulting marked fuel sellers and purchasers on a proposal to phase out marked fuel and move the tax exemption to clear fuel. The engagement will run from Aug. 1 to 31, and stakeholders can provide their views through an online survey. Recommendations based on stakeholder input will be provided to the government this fall for consideration.
Marked fuel is provided to eligible purchasers at a partially exempt tax rate of four cents per litre when vehicles are used for farming purposes or in unlicensed off-road equipment. This includes industries such as agriculture, oil and gas, and forestry.
While the fuel tax exemption rate will not be changed, some retailers have suggested that providing the tax exemption on clear fuel instead of marked fuel could provide savings for both fuel sellers and eligible consumers.
As an agriculture community, your thoughts on this are important, please complete the survey before the end of the month at https://www.alberta.ca/marked-fuel-proposal-engagement. As always, feel free to email my office at Chestermere.Strathmore@assembly.ab.ca.