June 2024—a flurry of metaphorical headlines out of Canada’s wealthiest province: “Alberta shuts down energy ‘War Room,’” “Calgary declares state of emergency due to water distribution facility crisis,” “Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi named Alberta NDP leader in landslide victory,” “Devastated by Stanley Cup loss, Edmonton Oilers fans are still holding hope for team’s next act.” But there was one quieter headline that emerged as a harbinger: “Alberta’s coal power era comes to an end.”
Last month, Alberta didn’t just announce it had transitioned entirely off coal as an energy source; the province kicked the fossil fuel six years ahead of a wildly ambitious schedule. The scale of achievement this represents defies exaggeration—and contains a warning for oil fans everywhere.
