The province says the introduction of the Sovereignty Act in the legislature Monday is necessary to keep Albertans from “freezing in the dark at -30 C.”

Its introduction formally starts the process for Alberta to reject federal Clean Energy Regulations not set to come into effect for more than a decade.

The federal Liberals’ Clean Energy Regulations (CER), spearheaded by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, would require Canada’s electricity grid to be net zero by 2035.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has long been a fierce opponent of the proposition, saying the timeline is unrealistic and proposing a 2050 deadline instead.

But the time for amicable discussion has passed after the premier said on her weekend radio show she “had it’ with Guilbeault.

“We have tried to work with Ottawa to align their emissions-reduction efforts with our provincial plan to achieve a carbon-neutral power grid by 2050,” Smith said Monday.

“Unfortunately, after months of meetings, they continue to reject this opportunity and remain committed to an absurdly unrealistic and unattainable goal of a net-zero power grid by 2035.”

The United Conservative government claims that the move to net zero will force Albertans into “brownouts, blackouts, and soaring costs.”

It also says that the clean energy regulations “have created uncertainty and are driving away investment.”

It adds that Alberta’s grid needs more baseload power from natural gas, but that it hasn’t received enough applications for new natural gas power plants because of investor uncertainty driven by the feds’ “extreme policies.”

If passed, the resolution to the Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act would order all provincial entities to not recognize the validity of, enforce, or cooperate with the implementation of the CERs, to whatever length is legal.

This order wouldn’t apply to private companies or individuals.