Calgary Chamber welcomes government support to advance hydrogen

Calgary, August 1, 2023 – The Calgary Chamber of Commerce applauds the provincial and federal government’s announcement to invest in new hydrogen technologies, advancing Alberta’s leadership in clean tech and the diversification of our energy sector. Expanding Alberta’s energy sector through diversification is critical to economic growth and maximizing our energy potential.

"Maintaining a secure and reliable supply of energy will require a combination of traditional and non-traditional resources," says Ruhee Ismail-Teja, Director of Policy and Communications at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. "Support for emerging energy sources, including hydrogen, is critical to Alberta’s short and long-term success, as decisions made today will impact our economic future. This announcement highlights the importance of collaboration between governments in accelerating the development of low-carbon technology."

The Calgary Chamber is eager to continue working with governments to:

Advance Alberta’s hydrogen potential

• Create a stackable production tax credit to support the development of low-carbon hydrogen projects and ancillary activities.  
   
• Advance private-public partnerships to support hydrogen blending studies to lower emissions while leveraging the use of new and existing energy transmission infrastructure. 

Promote a diversified energy mix

• De-risk market access investments for a suite of energy products, including oil and natural gas, ammonia, hydrogen, liquified natural gas and others by reducing regulatory timelines.   
   
• Implement legislation that is competitive with the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, to serve as an important economic incentive for the development of low-carbon alternatives, that support the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors. This includes hydrogen, propane and biodiesel, and supporting the development and adoption of Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Utilization (CCUS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) options. 
   
• Create a stackable production tax credit for CCS and CCUS, accelerating the development of both options to support decreasing emissions at source.

We encourage ongoing collaboration between business and all levels of government to advance Alberta’s role as an energy leader, and create and implement policies that benefit all Canadians.

ABOUT THE CALGARY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Calgary Chamber exists to help businesses thrive. As the convenor and catalyst for a vibrant, inclusive and prosperous business community, the Chamber works to build strength and resilience among its members and position Calgary as a magnet for talent, diversification and opportunity. As an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization, we build on our 132-year history to serve and advocate for businesses of all sizes, in all sectors and across the city.

Media opportunities

For media inquiries, please contact Shannon Hazlett, Senior Public Relations Advisor, at media@calgarychamber.com.