AB gov't challenging federal Net-Zero regulations

The Alberta government is adding a constitutional challenge of the interim Net Zero regulations to the multiple court challenges they have filed against the federal government.

 

Danielle Smith in 2011. Photo by Dave Cournoyer. CC BY-SA 2/0, Wikimedia Commons.

Alberta to Challenge Constitutionality of Ottawa’s Net-Zero Electricity Regulations | Epoch Times | Carolina Avendano:

May 1, 2025 - "Alberta is taking Ottawa to the province’s Court of Appeal over the federal government’s net-zero electricity regulations, arguing the rules overstep provincial jurisdiction and could drive up costs while increasing the risk of power outages. The province announced the legal action during a press conference on May 1, where Premier Danielle Smith described it as 'another step to protect Albertans’ livelihoods' from federal policies the province says 'threaten' the reliability of its electrical grid and could increase electricity prices by 35 percent....

"The Clean Electricity Regulations are part of Ottawa’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. They set limits on carbon dioxide emissions for generation units that use fossil fuels, with the stated aim of achieving a low-carbon economy 'at the pace and scale needed to drive clean growth, strengthen our competitiveness and attract more major investments.' 

"The federal government last December shifted its target for a fully decarbonized electricity grid from 2035 to 2050.... Meanwhile, the current framework, finalized in December 2024, provides interim targets generators must meet by 2035, which Smith has also called 'unreasonable and unattainable,' arguing they 'will still make electricity unaffordable for Canadian families.'  

"Ottawa says the regulations are needed to protect the environment and human health from the effects of climate change. 'Cutting pollution in communities across the country is good for our climate, economy, health, and well-being,' said the government in December 2024.... 

"During her May 1 address, Smith cited an analysis by the Alberta Electric System Operator, which suggests the net-zero electricity regulations would make the province’s electricity system more than 100 times less reliable than the provincial adequacy standard by 2038. The report also suggests the federal regulations 'will fail to deliver meaningful reductions in carbon emissions in Alberta'....

"Alberta currently relies on natural gas for 75 percent of its power generation, according to provincial estimates. The premier has previously said the province has a 'quicker and cheaper' alternative solution to achieve a carbon neutral power grid by 2050, but that it would require Ottawa to give up attempts to 'interfere' in Alberta’s governance..... The province has filed multiple court challenges against Ottawa, many of them related to federal climate policies. 

"'Canada’s constitution is absolutely clear,' [Alberta Justice Minister Mickey] Amery said at the May 1 press conference. “The provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over the development, conservation, and management of sites for the generation and production of electrical energy.' Ottawa says the regulations are established under the authorities of the Canada Environmental Protection Act, 1999, which provides legislative basis for certain federal environmental and health protection programs."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/alberta-to-challenge-constitutionality-of-ottawas-net-zero-electricity-regulations-5850893

The high, hidden cost of green electricity

Adding more solar and wind to the energy supply pushes up the price of electricity for consumers and businesses.

Solar and Wind Power Are Expensive | Fraser Institute | Bjørn Lomborg:

March 25, 2025 - "Global evidence is clear: Adding more solar and wind to the energy supply pushes up the price of electricity for consumers and businesses....  

"[F]rom 2005, the Ontario government began phasing out coal energy and dived headlong into subsidizing wind and solar generation.... From 2005 to 2020 the average, inflation-adjusted cost of electricity doubled from 7.7 cents to 15.3 cents. Since 2019 the Ontario government has subsidized these high costs through a slew of programs like the 'Renewable Cost Shift', lowering the direct pain to ratepayers but simply moving the increasing costs onto the government coffers. Today, this policy costs Ontario more than $6 billion annually...

"A relatively small amount of wind energy costs Ontarians over a billion dollars each year. One peer-reviewed study finds that the economic costs of wind are at least three times their benefits. Only the owners of wind power make any money, whereas the 'losers are primarily the electricity consumers followed by the governments.' Yet, politicians — supported by powerful green energy interests and credulous journalists — keep gaslighting voters claiming green energy is cheaper than fossil fuels....

"At best, this is only true when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. At all other times, their cost is significantly higher. Modern societies need around-the-clock power. The intermittency of solar and wind energy means backup is required, often delivered by fossil fuels. That means citizens end up paying for two power systems: renewables and their backup.... This intermittency can be huge, as when solar power in the Yukon delivered a massive 150 times more electricity to the grid in May 2022 than it did in December 2022. It is also the reason that the real energy costs of solar and wind are far higher than green campaigners claim....

"One study shows that in China, when including the cost of backup power, the real cost of solar power becomes twice as high as that of coal. Similarly, a peer-reviewed study of Germany and Texas shows that the real costs of solar and wind are many times more expensive than fossil fuels. Germany, the U.K., Spain, and Denmark, all of which increasingly rely on solar and wind power, have some of the world’s most expensive electricity.... The International Energy Agency’s latest data from nearly 70 countries from 2022 shows a clear correlation between more solar and wind and higher average household and business energy prices. In a country with little or no solar and wind, the average electricity cost is about 16 cents per kilowatt-hour. For every 10 per cent increase in solar and wind share, the electricity cost increases by nearly 8 cents per kWh.... 

"In Germany, electricity costs 43 cents per kWh — much more than twice the Canadian cost, and more than three-times the Chinese price. Germany has installed so much solar and wind that on sunny and windy days, renewable energy satisfies close to 70 per cent of Germany’s needs — a fact the press eagerly reports. But the press hardly mentions dark and still days, when these renewables deliver almost nothing. Twice in the past couple of months, when it was cloudy and nearly windless, solar and wind delivered less than 4 per cent of the daily power Germany needed.... Last month, with cloudy skies and nearly no wind, Germany faced the costliest power prices since the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with wholesale prices reaching a staggering $1.40 per kWh.

"Canada is blessed with plentiful hydro, powering 58 per cent of its electricity. This means that there has been less drive to develop wind and solar, which deliver just 7 per cent. But the urge to virtue signal remains. Indeed, the federal government’s 2023 vision for the electricity system declares that shifting away from fossil fuels is a “scientific and moral imperative” and “the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime”.

"Yet the biggest take-away from the global evidence is that among all the nations in the world ... there is not one that gets much of its power from solar and wind and has low electricity costs.... Instead, there are plenty of nations with lots of green energy and exorbitantly high costs."

Read more: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/solar-and-wind-power-are-expensive

Scientist Destroys Green Energy Narrative w/ Facts in Minutes | Bjørn Lomborg | The Rubin Report | March 4, 2025:

Harris has much to answer for in EV fiasco

When it comes to the Biden administration's EV fiasco, vice-president Kamala Harris will have much to answer for — if the media ever gets around to asking.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in May 2023. Photo by Joe Biden. Wikimedia Commons.

Continuing EV Bloodbath Leaves Harris With A Lot To Answer For | Todayville | David Blackmon, Daily Caller News Foundation:

July 2024 - "Once the ongoing effort by the legacy media to reinvent presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris as a dynamic leader and competent campaigner passes, we will presumably enter the part of the presidential race in which we actually examine her real record on the key issues. When — or if — that time ever arrives, the vice president will have a lot to explain where energy policy is concerned.... Today, I will address Harris’s advocacy for electric vehicles and buses, and the expanding bloodbath it has helped to create.

"Let’s begin with a speech Harris delivered in Brandywine, Maryland on December 13, 2021 ... to an audience including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, assorted Maryland officeholders, and workers at the Brandywine Highway Maintenance Facility.... [T]he vice president delivered a ringing endorsement of electric vehicles and her administration’s plans to try to subsidize them into automotive market dominance. ''The pollution from vehicles powered by fossil fuels has long harmed the health of communities around our country,' Harris said.

But there is a solution to this problem.... That means manufacturing millions of electric cars, trucks, and buses right here in our country. That means outfitting thousands of EV — electric vehicle — repair garages, just like this one. And it means installing a national network of EV chargers.

"That speech took place after congress had enacted the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act containing more than $200 billion in clean energy subsidies. Congress passed the Orwellian-named Inflation Reduction Act and its $369 billion in similar subsidies eight months later. 

"How has all that worked out for America three years down the road?... [E]very pure play EV maker in the U.S. is now either in bankruptcy or teetering on the brink. Ford reported ... that its EV division, Ford Model e, lost about $50,000 per unit sold during the second quarter, and that was the best quarterly result the company has reported in over a year. Even Tesla ... started the year with a pair of disappointing quarterly results amid rapidly slowing consumer demand for electric vehicles.

"The Biden-Harris dreams of subsidizing a national fleet of high-speed EV chargers into existence has also come up a crapper. The Washington Post and others reported in April that Granholm’s Energy Department has invested a whopping $7.5 billion to install 5,000 such charging stations around the country but had only managed to activate 7 to that point.

"Harris also endorsed a $5 billion EPA-managed program included in the Infrastructure law to fund the adoption of battery electric buses for targeted school systems around the country.... EPA has released two tranches of federal grants totaling $1.9 billion, but to disappointing results. Of the 389 school districts targeted by the grants, just 23 have reported successful acquisition of a total of 60 buses that have been placed into service. But another 50 of those districts have since withdrawn from consideration by the program....

"IRA subsidies for EV city buses have created perhaps the worst set of boondoggles of all. The electric buses are so costly, require such high maintenance and have such limited charging ranges that even extremely liberal cities like Austin, Texas  and Jackson, Wyoming have quit trying to change over their fleets. The 2023 bankruptcy of heavily subsidized Proterra, the biggest EV bus maker, hasn’t helped.

"It is hard to identify any aspect of the Biden-Harris suite of EV-related policies that can honestly be called a success. As her party’s apparent nominee, Harris will have much to answer for — that is, if the media ever gets around to asking the relevant questions."

Read more: https://www.todayville.com/continuing-ev-bloodbath-leaves-harris-with-a-lot-to-answer-for/

Majority opposes Trudeau's EV mandate

An Ipsos survey finds that a majority of Canadians oppose the Trudeau government's plan to ban the sale of new non-electric vehicles,  while two-thirds say that its 2035 deadline is unrealistic. 

Poll finds most Canadians oppose feds’ plan to ban conventional vehicle sales | Western Standard | Jonathan Bradley:

October 5, 2024 - "More than half of Canadians are against the federal government’s proposal to force all new vehicles sold in Canada be electric by 2035, according to a poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).... Ipsos found 55% of Canadians disagree with the federal government’s decision to ban the sale of conventional vehicles by 2035. In every region surveyed, it said a larger number of respondents were against the ban than in favour of it.

"Among Canadians who do not own an EV, fewer than one-quarter said their next vehicle would be electric. Key reasons cited for this lukewarm attitude included the high cost of EVs (70%), the lack of charging infrastructure (66%), and their reduced performance in Canada’s cold climate (64%). 

"Across Canada, Ipsos said 26% of Canadians believe the federal government’s plan to ban the sale of conventional vehicles is realistic. Meanwhile, it said two-thirds maintain the plan is unrealistic....

"It [also] found Canadians were troubled by the effects federal legislation has caused in stalling or cancelling energy projects. Additionally, it said seven-tenths were concerned by the negative impact on Canadian jobs arising from the cancellation of tens of billions of dollars in energy projects due to regulatory hurdles. Seventy-six percent said the Canadian government’s environmental impact assessment process takes too long. Nine percent had the opposite view."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/business/poll-finds-most-canadians-oppose-feds-plan-to-ban-conventional-vehicle-sales/58399

Trudeau's EV mandate will break the bank | Western Standard | Kris Sims:

August 1, 2024 = "Trudeau’s forced EV mandate will cost a shocking amount of money for taxpayers, and Canada doesn’t have the juice to power these electric vehicles. And, this plan is a non-starter for two key reasons:

"First, let’s look at the costs. Various levels of government have pledged about $57 billion to car companies that are pledging to make EVs, including billions for Volkswagen and Honda. That’s the corporate welfare cost, with governments pouring taxpayers’ money onto the boardroom tables in Berlin and Tokyo.

"Then there’s the sticker price on the EVs in the lots.... The cheapest new electric car in Canada sells for about $41,000, with a vehicle like a Nissan Leaf eligible for a $5,000 rebate from the feds. Last year, Canadians bought about 1.7 million new vehicles.... If those vehicles were all EVs, the cost of the rebates would be about $8 billion. With the cheapest new gasoline-powered sedan selling for about $21,000, and with no rebate costs to taxpayers, there’s a big price difference for both the person buying the car and taxpayers.

"What about power bills? The average Canadian home uses about 10,861 kWh in electricity per year. The average electric car uses about 4,310 kWh of energy per year, according to EVBox, a company that produces electric vehicle chargers. The average family’s electricity use would jump by about 40 per cent if they had one EV and charged it at home. 

"Where is the electricity for these EVs coming from? Calculations done in British Columbia show if everyone switched to an electric car in B.C., the province would need about nine new Site C Dams.... Creating nine new Site C Dams tomorrow would cost about $144 billion.... Alberta is home to about three million vehicles, and if they were all electric, that ... province would require about three nuclear plants to charge those vehicles. Who’s paying that tab? Taxpayers? Folks opening their power bills?... Today, record numbers of working families across Canada are visiting food banks and about half of Canadians are within $200 every month of not being able to make the minimum payments on their bills. They can’t afford higher power bills."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/sims-trudeaus-ev-mandate-will-break-the-bank/56537

Canada is now a net importer of electricity

In 2024, for the first time ever, Canada has became a net importer of electricity, thanks to an energy strategy that puts decarbonization ahead of energy security.  

Canada's 'energy blindness' must end | Financial Post | Philip Cross:

July 5, 2024 - "In its monthly update on energy trends, Statistics Canada reported this week that this year, for the first time ever, Canada has become a net importer of electricity.... Traditionally, Canada has generated surplus electricity that it has exported to the U.S. But in April total electricity generation was down 6.9 per cent from a year ago, continuing a trend that began earlier this year. 

"The decline is the result of droughts across much of the country that have curtailed hydroelectric generation as well as planned maintenance at nuclear stations. Hydro and nuclear account for just over two-thirds of all electricity generation in Canada. Hydro contributed 26.0 million megawatt-hours (MWh) and nuclear 5.2 MWh of the total electrical production of 45.7 MWh in April. With hydro and nuclear power generation falling at home, we had to import 2.6 million MWh from the United States in April, while our exports plunged a whopping 64.4 per cent to 1.7 million MWh.

"Canada’s plan to lower greenhouse gas emissions largely depends on hydro power supplying most of our rapidly growing energy needs. We remain ambivalent about nuclear power, with Ontario and New Brunswick the only two provinces producing it.... Critics of wind and solar power often emphasize their intermittent nature when the wind is not blowing or the sun not shining. Intermittent electricity sources like these require maintaining reliable backup energy sources, notably power plants that burn fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal. The recent reduction in hydro generation highlights how it, too, can sometimes be an unreliable source of power....

"Energy security means a reliable and affordable supply. Any prolonged interruption of supply would be catastrophic. In February 2022 Texas was within minutes of its electrical grid collapsing during an ice storm, a calamity that could not have been fully repaired until May. Here at home, Alberta’s grid was pushed almost beyond its limit during a severe cold snap this January. That would have been more consequential and life-threatening than a grid collapse in Texas given the extreme cold Alberta was experiencing.

"Electricity is fundamental to the lives and lifestyles of most Canadians. As former Ontario cabinet minister Dwight Duncan observed at a recent conference on energy policy, Ontario and Quebec have the highest energy demand in the world because of peak demand in both winter and summer. But there is a disconnect between Canada’s ambition to electrify our power grid and our reluctance to expand electricity capacity. Electrifying our homes and vehicles while using energy-hungry technology implies a massive increase in our electricity consumption.

"Only recently have governments begun to realize projected electricity demands far exceed supplies. That is why Ontario and Quebec recently announced ambitious and expensive plans to boost generation. Ontario is expanding and refurbishing its extensive network of nuclear plants. In Quebec, the Legault government recently installed Michael Sabia as head of Hydro Quebec to carry out a plan to substantially increase hydro and wind power to meet future demand, discarding plans that emphasized energy conservation and inevitably would have required unpopular price hikes. Alberta’s near-death experience has led it to restructure its grid to reduce the priority given to unpredictable renewable sources.

"Canada’s shift to being a net importer of electricity so far this year is a reminder that we have much work to do to increase production, especially since importing American electricity means relying on high-emission fossil fuels to generate power. Our plodding approach to building mega projects in recent decades raises serious questions about whether we will be successful.

"The European Union’s single-minded focus on decarbonizing its energy supply ended even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as the cost to households, industry and governments mounted. Richard Norris of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute characterizes our own refusal to acknowledge the primordial importance of abundant and cheap energy as 'energy blindness.' That blindness needs to end."

Read more: https://financialpost.com/opinion/canada-energy-blindness-must-end

Philip Cross is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

What would a Canadian energy security strategy look like? | Macdonald-Laurier Institute | March 31, 2022: 

Alberta government invokes Sovereignty Act

Alberta's government has invoked its Sovereignty Act to bar the cabinet and provincial agencies from working or complying with the federal government on the latter\s proposed net-zero electricity regulations. 

Guilbeault surprised Alberta using Sovereignty Act to block electricity regulations, but says he's undeterred | National Post | Ryan Tumilty:

November 27, 2023 - "Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said he was surprised ... late Monday after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government invoked its Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act — known as the Sovereignty Act — saying it intends to ignore impending federal regulations that aim to have a net-zero grid in place by 2035. The province had been campaigning for months against Guilbeault’s plan, which is says is too aggressive and will make its electricity supply expensive and unreliable....

"Smith said the act would make it law that cabinet and any provincial agencies will not work with the federal government on the proposed electricity regulations or follow the new federal rules when they’re in place. 'We developed this legislation to shield the province from federal intrusion and we’re using it now because the consequences of this particular overreach would be so severe,' Smith said. 'If the federal government has its way, many people will be left without electricity that they can pay for on a power grid that will fall short or even fail.'

"The clean electricity regulations are still in draft form and final rules are expected early in 2024. Guilbeault said he was blindsided that the Alberta government decided to invoke the act rather than working with Ottawa. 'Not once in many meetings that we’ve had with them have they raised the Sovereignty Act motion, which jeopardize the collaboration that we’ve had so far,' he said. 'The draft regulations are exactly that — draft regulations — because we want to have conversations with provinces, territories, Indigenous representatives and other stakeholders.'

"Canada currently has one of the greenest grids in the world. Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia rely on hydro and nuclear power to operate their electricity systems with very few emissions. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick rely heavily on either coal or natural gas for their power grids. Guilbeault said Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are working with his government to get off fossil fuels and he said Alberta should be doing the same....

"Smith’s Sovereignty Act says the government can ignore federal rules or regulations it disagrees with by passing a motion outlining its plan to do so. The premier said the reason for invoking the act now is to send a message to the federal government that the proposed electricity rules are not sustainable for the province.... The motion won’t apply to private electricity producers, but it would apply to the grid operator and regulatory bodies who oversee electricity in the province.

"Smith said her government will also explore creating a Crown corporation to either build power plants or purchase existing ones from private companies who might be intimidated by the federal government’s rules. 'I hope we’re able to continue with our entirely private sector market, but I can’t sit back and allow for the grid to fail,' she said."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/alberta-premier-invokes-sovereignty-act

Alberta invokes sovereignty act | Edmonton Journal | November 27, 2023:

Sunak slows down Britain's race to Net Zero

Declaring that "If we continue down this path, we risk losing the consent of the British people," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced changes to slow down Britain's drive to Net Zero emissions.

Britain has finally joined the net sensibles | The Telegraph | Matthew Lynn: 

September 20, 2023 - "You might still be able to buy a petrol car for a few more years. You won’t have to rip out your old boiler right away.... [E]xtra taxes on your next summer holiday might be postponed, while that fiddly recycling scheme that required countless different bins could be scrapped. No doubt his critics will try to portray the Prime Minister’s modest watering down of green commitments as turning the UK into a climate-change denying pariah. In reality, the UK is just switching from 'net zero' extremism to 'net zero' sense, joining many other developed countries in recognising that carbon emissions can’t be eliminated right away and all we will do is bankrupt ourselves by trying.... 

"To listen to some of the reaction to the PM’s leaked announcement on climate change you might think he was sending the British army into the rainforest with chainsaws or re-opening the Kent and Durham coalmines.... Sunak is simply proposing some modest tweaks. The completely unrealistic target of banning the sale of petrol cars by 2030 will be pushed back by five years, bringing us into line with most of Europe. The phasing out of gas boilers will be postponed. And there will be no new taxes on flying, at least for now. The posturing that demanded the UK was the world leader on combating climate change, even though we account for only one percent of global emissions, and our stagnant economy can barely afford it, will be scrapped. Instead, we will more modestly adopt global standards.

"That is long overdue. The 'net sensibles', as they might be termed, are in the ascendancy across Europe. France’s President Macon had called for a 'regulatory pause' on climate change, arguing that it should not damage competitiveness. Italy’s PM Georgia Meloni argued in March that 'we cannot help the environment by destroying our industries' while Belgium’s PM Alexander de Croo in May argued climate change legislation should not overwhelm companies, arguing that Europe should 'not try to do everything at the same time'. 

"In a move that you might think would please the kind of hardcore Remainers who also are typically the most extreme advocates of green policies, the UK is simply aligning itself with the EU. It is hard to see anything very controversial about that. The alternative was to simply press on with an insane bid for world leadership, while making life tougher and tougher for families and businesses....

"[T]here is still a long way to go. For example, we could start fracking so that we could secure our domestic energy supplies while we transition to green alternatives, following the lead of Canada’s Justin Trudeau, hardly a right-wing populist. We could allow new oil fields to be developed at the same time as developing wind and solar power, following the lead of President Joe Biden, hardly a climate-change denier. Or we could explore the use of synthetic e-fuels as an alternative to electric cars, as the Social Democrat-Green coalition in Germany is insisting that it should.... 

"[U]nder Theresa May and Boris Johnson, cheered on by the likes of Labour’s Ed Miliband and Sir Keir Starmer, the UK had one of the most extreme climate change plans in the world. It was already starting to drag down the country’s economy, with expensive, unreliable energy, costly regulations, and endless green levies. It should be a relief to everyone that we have already joined the ranks of the 'net sensibles' recognising that climate change is a serious issue but that we can’t make much of a difference by ourselves, and there is no point in bankrupting ourselves in the process. But there is still a long way to go before we finally undo the damage of the last few years - and put in place some grown up climate policies instead."

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/20/britain-has-finally-seen-sense-on-net-zero/

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Net Zero Speech - IN FULL | 10 Downing Street | September 21, 2023:

Alberta gov't rejects draft electricity regulations

Alberta premier Danielle Smith vows that the Trudeau government's draft electricity regulations "will not be implemented in our province – period."

Smith, Schulz say ‘no’ to federal clean regs — 'Period' | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer: 

August 10, 2023 "Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was succinct in her response to the Liberal government’s proposed clean energy regulations: 'They will not be implemented in our province – period.'  And she made a not-so-thinly veiled threat to execute the Sovereignty Act if Alberta and Ottawa are unable to come to terms. 

If this alignment is not achieved, Alberta will chart its own path to ensuring we have additional reliable and affordable electricity brought onto our power grid that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"It comes after Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault unleashed a hornet’s nest in Ottawa Thursday morning with the long-awaited draft net-zero power regulations. That came after Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson released a policy vision statement in Vancouver on Tuesday.... Wilkinson seemed to anticipate the hostility from provinces that rely on fossil fuels — Alberta and Saskatchewan, but also Nova Scotia — to power their grids by stressing that the looming regulations are indeed “proposed” and not final.... 

"'One of the only positives at this point is that these are "draft" regulations and Alberta is about to commence a working group with the federal government to discuss how to bring Ottawa’s efforts to decarbonize the economy in line with Alberta’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan,' Smith said. 

"Smith said this will be accomplished by ensuring an appropriate amount of high-efficiency natural gas base load is added to the grid while incentivizing carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) abated natural gas generation, small modular reactors, hydrogen generation and a sustainable amount of wind, solar and other renewables.... 'This is the direction Alberta is going. We invite the federal government to support us, rather than hinder us, in doing so,' she said.

"Those sentiments were echoed by Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz at a press conference in Calgary on Thursday where she accused the federal government of 'bait and switch' tactics. Schulz, who met with Guilbeault in Calgary last month — and apparently spoke with him by phone as late as yesterday — said she was completely blindsided by the announcement. 'This is not in good faith,” she said. “It’s disappointing and quite frankly, disrespectful'....

"After the meeting she told the Western Standard.... 'They (the regulations) will not be implemented in Alberta..... [T]hat is non-negotiable.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/updated-smith-schulz-say-no-to-federal-clean-regs-period/article_c3550e24-37b0-11ee-ba17-570d4f6f255d.html

Alberta reacts to federal govt’s new draft regs on clean electricity | CPAC | Rebecca Schultz | August 10, 2023:

Reaching net-zero by 2035 unrealistic, says Moe

Moe blasts proposed electricity regs as ‘unaffordable, unrealistic and unconstitutional’ | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer, Business Reporter: 

August 10, 2023 - "Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is ... [calling] the Trudeau government’s proposed net-zero electricity regulations: 'unaffordable, unrealistic and unconstitutional'... 

"[Moe] released a statement via social media channels [right] blasting the Liberal government — and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault specifically — for ignoring feedback from provincial governments and utility providers before moving ahead with the new rules.

“'Trudeau’s net-zero targets are simply not achievable in Saskatchewan and we will not ask our residents to pay the extraordinary price for the federal government’s divisive policies,' it read. 'Nor will we risk the integrity of our provincial power grid to defy the laws of thermodynamics.' Further, Moe said the new rules will drive electricity rates 'through the roof' and leave Saskatchewan with an unreliable power supply.

"The comments echo Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said yesterday its important to have a reliable power system when the temperatures fall to -30.

"In a press conference Thursday morning, Guilbeault said the rules stress 'affordability' and reliability of the grid, even as he admitted power bills will increase about 2% — before subsidies — for most Canadians. Guilbeault estimated that it would cost $400 billion to upgrade the grid.... In July the Conference Board of Canada and others put that figure at more like $1.75 trillion.

"In March Guilbeault infamously said Moe would be breaking the Criminal Code ... if Saskatchewan ran coal-fired power plants after 2030, unless equipped with carbon capture. The Saskatchewan premier’s response? 'Come get me.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/moe-blasts-proposed-electricity-regs-as-unaffordable-unrealistic-and-unconstitutional/article_d223429a-37a6-11ee-bde1-3f3e33bd5920.html

Sask. premier calls federal aim of net-zero by 2035 'impossible and unaffordable' | CBCSaskatchewan | May 16, 2023:

Provinces threatened with $Billion funding cuts

Justin Trudeau's natural resources minister is threatening to pull billions in federal funding from provinces non-compliant with the federal government's emissions-reduction plan.

Wilkinson threatens to pull billions in funding for provinces that refuse to comply with clean electricity laws | True North | Cosmin Dzsurdzsa -

August 8, 2023 - "Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson is threatening to pull billions in federal funding from provinces that refuse to comply with the Liberal government’s pledge to have a "non-emitting" electricity grid across the country by 2035. Wilkinson’s remarks are the latest in a series of threats from federal officials concerning the incoming Clean Electricity Standard – which provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan have labelled as unrealistic and an infringement on provincial sovereignty. 

"According to Wilkinson, his government is considering barring non-compliant provinces from a 15% investment tax credit and a $3 billion fund for renewable energy. 'We certainly are considering that,' Wilkinson told the Canadian Press. 'But there is obviously consultation that’s going on with respect to the investment tax credits. We want to hear from people. We also want to think about if we’re going to put those kinds of constraints or strings on those things, how we best do that.'

"Canadians can expect an early draft of the regulations to be released by Wilkinson’s office early this month. 

"Critics of the policy say that the federal government is overreaching when it comes to power regulation, which is traditionally left up to the provinces and that completely cutting out coal or gas power is not possible for provinces that lack other options. 'I’m not going to answer hypotheticals with respect to this. But it’s our interpretation that these decisions on how you produce power, most certainly are in the realm of provincial jurisdiction,' said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe in May. 

"A recent report by the federal Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) found that as a result of the incoming regulations, Canadian families could pay up to $1,008 extra due to the regulations. 'I can understand that people are not happy when we underline that government action will have repercussions, and in this case, costs, but I stand by the analysis we provided,' said PBO Yves Giroux. 

"Wilkinson’s recent comments are not the first time that prominent cabinet members have threatened provinces with repercussions for not towing the Liberal government’s line on climate change. In May, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said that premiers who refused to comply could potentially face violations under the Criminal Code. 

“'We’ve regulated the ban on coal through (Canadian Environmental Protection Act), which is a criminal tool that the federal government has,' said Guilbeault. 'So not complying with this regulation would be a violation of Canada’s Criminal Code.'"

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/08/08/wilkinson-threatens-provinces-electricity/

What's in Canada's new climate plan and what's not | CityNews | March 29, 2022: 

Alberta gov't pauses new green energy projects

Alberta slams brakes on permits for renewable energy developments | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer, Business Reporter: 

August 3, 2023 - "In the face of skyrocketing electricity bills, Alberta is slamming the brakes on permits for renewable energy projects until 2024 while it revamps the regulatory process for solar installations and wind farms. Effective Aug. 3, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) ... pause[d] approvals of new renewable electricity generation projects over one megawatt until Feb. 29, 2024 while it reviews policies and procedures ... amid concerns from municipalities and landowners related to responsible land use and the rapid pace of renewables development, including reclamation and recycling liabilities. 

"At the end of the process, future renewable projects will be able to move forward 'at a pace that is conducive to business while maintaining responsible environmental stewardship and preserving Alberta’s reliable electricity supply,' [provincial] Affordability and Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf said in a release. 'We are proud of our leadership in responsible renewable energy development and we are committed to its continued growth. This approach will provide future renewable investments with the certainty and clarity required for long-term development.'

"Specifically, the inquiry will inform government policy decisions around the ongoing economic, orderly and efficient development of electricity generation in Alberta and will look at issues, including:

• Development of power plants on specific types or classes of agricultural or environmental land.
• The impact of power plant development on Alberta’s pristine viewscapes.
• Mandatory reclamation security requirements for power plants.
• Development of power plants on lands held by the Crown.
• The impact of the increasing growth of renewables on Alberta’s generation supply mix and electricity system reliability.

"Albertans will still be able to install small-scale renewable energy products in their homes and communities, which will be unaffected by the review.

"The changes were hailed by the Rural Municipalities Association, which is hoping to avoid a repeat of the so-called ‘orphan well’ controversy. It follows up on a UCP campaign promise during the May election to tread a careful path on renewable energy projects on prime farm land.... 'Rural municipalities cover roughly 85% of Alberta’s land and their voices must be included in the approval process for all renewable energy projects,' said RMA president Paul McLauchlin. 'We look forward to working with the Government of Alberta to create an approval process that balances provincial and local perspectives and positions Alberta as a leader in responsible renewable energy development.'

"In a Tweet, [provincial] Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors [Devin Dreeshen] said 'Alberta should have rules that ensure landowners and taxpayers are not burdened with the significant environmental cleanup of renewable energy projects.'" 

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/alberta-slams-brakes-on-permits-for-renewable-energy-developments/article_babcc646-3222-11ee-a039-57b1c206521a.html

Alberta pauses all new large renewable energy projects | CBC News: The National | August 4, 2023:

The idiocy behind the Paris Climate Accord

Global Village Idiots | Liberty Unbound - Steve Murphy:

August 8, 2017 - "Blunderdale, a fictitious village located on a river bank, decided to build a levee to save its people (and their homes and businesses) from the devastation of flooding.... [S]cientists informed the flood task force ... that a 4’ levee would be required for protection against most floods, but that an 8’ levee would be required to ensure village safety against all floods. Armed with this sobering advice, the village leaders ... decided that a 2’ levee would be their goal [and] hammered out a plan to construct one from costly and unreliable materials instead of much cheaper and much more available proven materials.... When completed, the exorbitantly expensive structure would be 0.17’ high. Having bamboozled the credulous villagers, they celebrated their victory.

"Most of us would call such leaders despicable morons; in Blunderdale, the village leaders are the village idiots. After all, they are almost as underhanded and scandalously stupid as the world leaders (from 195 of the world’s 196 countries) who concocted the Paris Climate Accord....

"Climate experts (particularly those who support the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]) ... informed them that, on its present course, the earth’s temperature is expected to rise to something in the range of 4.0°C by the end of this century. Some authors insist that an increase of 8.0°C is possible. Even a 2.0°C rise, which many believe is already baked into the climate cake, will soon inundate low-lying population centers (cities such as Miami and nations such as Bangladesh) and create tens of millions of climate refugees....

"But let’s say that mankind implemented ... the Paris Accord. And let’s say that it was scrupulously executed — that is, the emissions reductions pledges of all 195 nations were fully met, annually, through the end of the century. What would be the cost? According to Bjorn Lomborg, it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 trillion. This staggering amount includes lost GDP growth, increased taxes (e.g., $3 trillion to pay for subsidies over the next 25 years), and higher household electricity expenses. A Heritage Foundation study of the effects of the Paris agreement on only the US economy, and only through 2035, found that there would be an overall annual average shortfall of nearly 400,000 jobs (200,000 manufacturing jobs), a total income loss of more than $20,000 for a family of four, an aggregate GDP loss of over $2.5 trillion, and increases in household electricity expenditures of between 13% and 20%.

"What is the expected effectiveness of the plan?... An analysis by Lomborg found that fastidious adherence to the agreement, maintained throughout the century, would reduce the global temperature rise by 0.17°C. An MIT analysis found a similar result, 0.2°C. Thus, if the end-of-century temperature rise is the mass extinction-causing 4°C that the signatories believe will occur without the Paris accord , then, with the Paris accord, the end-of-century temperature rise will shrink to only, well, a mass extinction-causing 4°C.

 "With full knowledge that their plan would have absolutely no influence on diminishing catastrophic global warming, the leaders from 195 countries signed the Paris accord. Having surreptitiously united the world behind a $100 trillion scheme that would be of no help to Mother Earth, if she even notices, they celebrated their achievement."

Read more: http://www.libertyunbound.com/node/1744
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PEI man taxed on his own solar power

P.E.I. man wants to know why he pays HST on electricity he generates himself - Prince Edward Island - CBC News - Kerry Campbell:

May 31, 2017 - "Every aspect of Kris Currie's home in New Dominion, P.E.I., was designed to minimize energy usage — from the thickness of the walls, to the position of the windows, to the choice of appliances, like a heat pump-powered clothes dryer.... The result is what's known as a 'net-zero home,' meant to generate all the power it needs over a year from the 35 solar panels on the roof.

"What Currie didn't know when he built the home is that 'net-zero' doesn't apply when it comes to the HST [Harmonized Sales Tax - GD].

"Currie pays nothing to Maritime Electric for his electricity, but is still billed for the HST on every kilowatt hour used, just like any other customer....

"Currie is part of P.E.I.'s net metering program, which allows individual homeowners to generate their own electricity, sending any excess into the grid in exchange for credits so they don't have to pay when they draw electricity back out of the grid.... Currie's home is generating more electricity than it uses, feeding the excess into P.E.I.'s electricity grid, where it's sold to other Maritime Electric customers — who pay HST on what they use.

"For April, Currie's bill shows he paid $13.49 HST on the 644 kilowatt hours of electricity he used — a third of the electricity his home produced over that period. In the winter, when his electricity usage increases, Currie said he'll be paying $50 or $60 a month in HST.

"He said he spent an extra $46,000, without government assistance, to build a net-zero home. In fact, he paid HST on the solar panels and the labour to have them installed. He did it, said Currie, partly to save on his monthly bills, but also to reduce his family's carbon footprint. "But the added tax means it will take longer for that investment to pay off, and he said that will discourage other homeowners from doing the same thing....

"The provincial government and Maritime Electric both told CBC News that federal tax law requires HST be charged.... They said homeowners could claim back the HST by registering as a business, although Currie said his accountant advised him the extra costs and paperwork involved in doing that would cancel out the benefits."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-electricity-hst-solar-net-metering-1.4139700
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NAFTA suit alleges Ontario gov't cronyism in wind power contracts

For Pickens, Wind Claim May Be Last Power Play - The New York Times - Alexandra Stevenson:

October 15, 2015 - "T. Boone Pickens made billions drilling for oil and gas and squaring off in bare-knuckled corporate takeover bouts. Now the 87-year-old tycoon ... is using his rights under the North American Free Trade Agreement to bring claims against the Canadian province of Ontario.... He is seeking $700 million in damages for future losses related to bids that his wind power company, Mesa Power, lost in wind power auctions in Ontario.

"Mr. Pickens and Mesa Power contend that [a] Florida company, NextEra, was granted exclusive access through private meetings with important government officials that ultimately tilted the bidding in its favor.

"The province of Ontario granted NextEra $3.8 billion in energy contracts. Mesa Power contends that $18,600 in donations that NextEra made to the ruling Liberal Party in Ontario before elections in 2011 had undue influence on the auction.

"NextEra did not respond to a request for comment....

"When Ontario enacted a Green Energy Act in 2009, ... the government created a program to provide incentives for companies to invest in renewable energy projects. Companies that were awarded contracts would be paid premium guaranteed prices set by the government.... Cole Robertson, who was vice president of finance for Mesa Power at the time, not[ed] that the government’s set price in 2011 was double that in Texas at [that] time.

"Mesa Power submitted several project proposals through the program. But when the first rankings came out in late 2010, its executives disputed the assessments, arguing that Mesa Power’s projects should have been higher.... Ontario government officials have countered that Mesa Power did not submit its applications properly....

"Mesa Power later disputed an auction in the spring of 2011, complaining of a lack of transparency around the process of awarding contracts and insufficient time for public consultation. Mesa Power executives wrote to Shawn Cronkwright, an official with the power authority, seeking clarification and meetings with the agency and the Ministry of Energy. Mr. Cronkwright told Mesa Power executives that these meetings would not be possible because the agency had yet to award contracts, according to court documents....

"A review of documents and emails between NextEra executives, lobbyists and government officials show that NextEra met and held calls with high-level officials at the Ontario Ministry of Energy, the premier’s office and the power authority, even as Mesa Power executives were told they could not speak to officials until contracts were awarded. When NextEra lobbyists requested more information, officials sometimes responded within hours.

"Mr. Pickens’s lawyers argue that NextEra was able to wield influence because of its chief lobbyist, Bob Lopinski at Counsel Public Affairs. A former adviser to the Ontario premier, Dalton McGuinty, Mr. Lopinski was hired in 2010. He contacted former colleagues in the premier’s office to set up meetings for senior NextEra executives including Mitch Davidson, the chief executive. He also arranged for meetings at the Ministry of Energy and the power authority....

"For NextEra, whose operations include electricity plants in Hawaii and wind farms in North Dakota, such political contributions are not unusual. In the United States, the company has spent millions of dollars in political donations to both the Republican and Democratic parties.

"'You can’t win an election in Florida without the support of NextEra,' said William Pentland, managing partner at Brookside Strategies, an energy consulting firm."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/business/dealbook/for-pickens-wind-claim-may-be-last-power-play.html?_r=0 'via Blog this'