During a recent event at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her doubts about the credibility of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as reported by CTV.
The IEA’s new report, which predicts a potential peak in fossil fuel demand within this decade, was met with skepticism by Smith. She criticized the IEA for not conducting thorough analysis, but rather focusing on desired outcomes and outlining paths to achieve them.
Smith expressed her preference for obtaining data from private sector organizations instead.
The IEA is a renowned energy research institution. It collaborates with numerous influential organizations including OPEC, the G20, and the United Nations. The IEA conducts research on various areas such as energy grids, oil markets, technologies, and transportation.
The IEA’s latest report projects that under existing government policies, renewable energy sources will contribute to half of the world’s electricity production by 2030. The wind industry will receive three times more investment than the fossil fuel industry.
The report will be a major topic of discussion at the upcoming COP28 climate change conference in Dubai. According to the CBC, many political leaders attending the conference will push for an international agreement to triple renewable energy production by 2030.
As Smith accuses the IEA of being a biased organization, she’s facing mounting criticism for being biased in her own energy policy.
In early August, Smith announced a six-month moratorium on renewable energy development in Alberta. In justifying the moratorium, the government pointed to concerns about landowners’ rights and the eventual decommissioning of solar and wind farm sites.
However, the Canadian Renewable Energy Agency stated that these issues were on track to being resolved when the moratorium was announced.
Image Source: Paul Mitchell, https://shorturl.at/bEV19
