The relationship between energy policy, economic policy, and prosperity is complex.

Natural resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. Likewise, regulation alone does not determine economic outcomes. Long-term prosperity depends on a combination of factors, including resource endowments, investment, productivity, infrastructure, education, innovation, market access, and sound fiscal management.

For Albertans—especially seniors—understanding these relationships provides important context for evaluating proposals about the province's future, whether within Canada or under a different constitutional arrangement.