--- title: "Alberta Premier Smith unlikely to create Crown corporation for gas pipelines" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-unlikely-to-create-crown-corporation-for-gas-pipelines" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/alberta-premier-smith-unlikely-to-create-crown-corporation-for-gas-pipelines" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-unlikely-to-create-crown-corporation-for-gas-pipelines.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/alberta-premier-smith-unlikely-to-create-crown-corporation-for-gas-pipelines" category: "Politics" published: "2026-09-12T23:45:51.140Z" source_reported: "2026-09-12T19:20:03.671Z" updated: "2026-09-12T23:45:51.140Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-13T01:00:16.099947+00:00" --- # Alberta Premier Smith unlikely to create Crown corporation for gas pipelines *Leaked report suggested new entities to boost transmission capacity for oil and AI data centres.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to a leaked cabinet report, with two full reports and multiple digests corroborating. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is clear and holds together, with affected parties quoted or given a right of reply. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise more than the body delivers, with mild emphasis and some loaded adjectives. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said it is unlikely her government will create a Crown corporation to build natural gas pipelines. - A leaked report to Smith's cabinet recommended the province establish Crown corporations to increase natural gas transmission capacity. - The report estimated Crown corporations would cost between $53.9 million and $162.6 million, while new major pipelines could cost billions. - The report identified TC Energy's Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. system as being at full capacity until 2029, creating a bottleneck. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated on 12 September 2026 that her government is unlikely to create a new Crown corporation to build natural gas pipelines. Smith made the comments on her radio call-in program, "Your Province Your Premier," saying that conversations about solutions for companies struggling to access natural gas are currently focused on the private sector. Smith's remarks followed the leak of a report to her cabinet, which recommended the province create Crown corporations to spur the development of new natural gas transmission lines. The report suggested this was necessary to meet demand from oil production and artificial intelligence data centres. According to the report, Alberta risks losing data centre developers if a quick solution for natural gas supply is not secured. ## Cost estimates and infrastructure bottlenecks The leaked report estimated that establishing Crown corporations would cost between $53.9 million and $162.6 million. In contrast, building a new major natural gas pipeline could cost billions. The report identified Calgary-based TC Energy as a bottleneck, stating that its Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. system is expected to operate at full capacity until 2029, with limited expansion plans thereafter. TC Energy reportedly does not wish to invest in further capacity unless it can achieve investment returns similar to its projects in the United States. ## Potential impact on energy prices The report suggested that increased transmission capacity could lead to higher selling prices for Alberta's natural gas. While this could benefit government royalty revenue, it might also increase costs for consumers. Smith argued that increasing natural gas supply, rather than constraining it, is necessary to prevent Albertans' energy bills from rising. Opposition NDP leader Naheed Nenshi expressed concern that government intervention could lead to higher energy prices, a point the report also noted, stating that higher selling prices could mean Albertans pay more on their power bills. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated reports mentioned that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called TC Energy a "monopoly." None of the centre-rated reports mentioned that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called TC Energy a "monopoly." The right-rated report did not mention the estimated cost of the proposed Crown corporations or the specific capacity issues of TC Energy's Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. system. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (6) - Centre: 42% (5) - Right: 8% (1) 6 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-13T01:00:16.099947+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-13T01:15:20.908Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Six left-rated reports led on the leaked cabinet report's recommendation for the province to create Crown corporations to build natural gas pipelines and spur development for AI data centres. These reports also highlighted the potential for increased consumer energy costs as a result of the plan. Global News and The Narwhal specifically framed the story around the UCP government prioritizing data centres over energy bills, with The Narwhal noting the plan could involve rewriting laws and taking over natural gas supply systems. National Observer reported that Alberta could spend billions on public gas pipelines to fuel a data centre boom, citing the leaked document. ### Centre - Five centre-rated reports focused on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's statement that creating a Crown corporation for natural gas pipelines is unlikely. These reports mentioned the leaked cabinet report's recommendation for such corporations to boost pipeline development and attract AI data centres. CTV News and Castanet noted Smith's comments came after the report was leaked. The Globe & Mail and The Medicine Hat News reported that Alberta was mulling creating a Crown corporation to boost pipeline development and lure AI data centres, with The Medicine Hat News highlighting the NDP's view that AI plans will drive up energy costs. ### Right - The single right-rated report led on the potential for Alberta's AI data centre boom to encounter a natural gas pipeline bottleneck. The report stated that the province wants to become an AI data centre hub, but a hidden bottleneck could derail the plan and outlined what is at stake. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 9 - unknown: 7 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [CBC News](https://cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-natural-gas-crown-corporation-smith-9.7341890) — Premier Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely in Alberta after report leaked - [Calgary Journal Online](https://calgaryjournal.ca/2026/09/12/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Castanet](https://castanet.net/news/Alberta/631072/Alberta-s-Smith-says-Crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/09/12/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Rocky Mountain Outlook](https://rmoutlook.com/national-business/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked-12772271) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Airdrie City View](https://airdriecityview.com/alberta-news/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked-12772272) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Bowen Island Undercurrent](https://bowenislandundercurrent.com/national-business/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked-12772276) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Loonie Politics](https://looniepolitics.com/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked) — Alberta’s Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Western Investor](https://westerninvestor.com/national-business/albertas-smith-says-crown-corporation-for-natural-gas-unlikely-after-report-leaked-12772276) — Alberta's Smith says Crown corporation for natural gas unlikely after report leaked - [Alberta Politics](https://albertapolitics.ca/2026/09/despite-ucp-scheme-to-fuel-ai-data-centres-theres-nothing-wrong-with-crown-corporations) — Despite UCP scheme to fuel AI data centres, there’s nothing wrong with Crown corporations - [Medicine Hat News](https://medicinehatnews.com/uncategorized/2026/09/12/ai-plans-will-drive-up-energy-costs-leaked-docs-show-ndp) — AI plans will drive up energy costs, leaked docs show: NDP - [The Globe & Mail](https://theglobeandmail.com/business/article-alberta-natural-gas-pipelines-ai-data-centres) — Alberta mulls creating Crown corporation to boost natural gas pipeline development, lure AI data centres - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/cb972fdbd4cee2d2) — Alberta mulls creating Crown corporation to boost natural gas pipeline development, lure AI data centres - [Global News](https://globalnews.ca/video/12056350/leaked-document-shows-ucp-prioritizing-data-centres-over-energy-bills-alberta-ndp-says) — Leaked document shows UCP prioritizing data centres over energy bills, Alberta NDP says - [National Observer](https://nationalobserver.com/2026/09/14/news/alberta-public-natural-gas-infrastructure-plan) — Alberta could spend billions on public gas pipelines to fuel data centre boom, leaked document suggests - [The Hub](https://thehub.ca/2026/09/11/albertas-ai-data-centre-boom-could-run-into-natural-gas-bottleneck) — Alberta’s AI data centre boom could run into natural gas bottleneck - [The Narwhal](https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-ai-data-centre-takeover-cabinet-doc) — Leaked doc suggests Alberta has an AI data centre masterplan ## Questions **What did the leaked report recommend for Alberta's natural gas sector?** A leaked report to Alberta's cabinet recommended the province create Crown corporations to build and operate new natural gas transmission lines. This was proposed to meet demand from oil production and artificial intelligence data centres, and to address existing infrastructure bottlenecks. **What are the estimated costs for the proposed Crown corporations?** The leaked report estimated that the cost of establishing new Crown corporations to build natural gas pipelines would range between $53.9 million and $162.6 million. This is significantly less than the potential cost of billions of dollars for building a new major natural gas pipeline. **What is the current state of Alberta's natural gas transmission infrastructure?** The leaked report identified TC Energy's Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. system as a bottleneck, stating it is expected to be at full capacity until 2029. The report indicated that TC Energy is hesitant to invest in expanding capacity unless it receives investment returns comparable to its US projects. **What is Premier Smith's stance on creating a Crown corporation for pipelines?** Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated on 12 September 2026 that it is unlikely her government will launch a new Crown corporation to build natural gas pipelines. She indicated that current discussions regarding solutions for companies struggling to access natural gas are focused on the private sector. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-unlikely-to-create-crown-corporation-for-gas-pipelines. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Alberta Premier Smith unlikely to create Crown corporation for gas pipelines", https://mediabias.news/politics/alberta-premier-smith-unlikely-to-create-crown-corporation-for-gas-pipelines