The Sierra Club of Canada says the federal government should focus its renewable energy efforts on reliable power for residents, not as an expensive power source for AI data centres.

The Sierra Club says while jobs were a big focus of Thursday’s electricity strategy announcement, jobs will be “greatly endangered if government goes ahead with gutting” the industrial carbon tax.

It says electrification is key to climate action, affordability and security, and while it’s “refreshing” to see the Prime Minister include the policy in his nation-building goals, “buried” in the announcement are measures that it says will “essentially gut” Clean energy regulations.

It is encouraging Ottawa to listen to communities that are opposed to gas, nuclear and fossil-powered data centres during the consultation process.