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:

A common-sense climate policy for Canada

Graphic courtesy C2C Journal.

A common-sense climate policy for Canada | True North | Robert Lyman:

November 30, 2024 - "As the Conservatives prepare to take on the responsibility of governing, they must articulate a climate strategy ... that balances economic growth with practical environmental measures. Canada cannot afford to continue along the Justin Trudeau government’s path, prioritizing unrealistic, ideologically driven net-zero targets. The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act  ... requir[es] an overhaul of the economy’s energy system, including the role of fossil fuels. Hydrocarbons currently supply 73 percent of Canada’s energy needs, underpinning essential services like heating, transportation and manufacturing. Eliminating these barely 25 years from now is not just ambitious—it is effectively impossible.

"The costs of these policies are already apparent. Carbon taxes and emissions regulations have driven up energy prices and housing costs, exacerbating Canada’s affordability crisis. According to the Fraser Institute, the federal government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan could add $55,000 to the average cost of a new home. This comes as federal spending on climate measures reaches $20 billion annually, with the broader economic cost of net-zero estimated at $60 billion per year. These sacrifices are pointless; Canada contributes only 1.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.... 

"Canadians are increasingly aware of the resulting financial and social burdens. Young people, seniors and working families feel the squeeze as energy and housing become less affordable. Adding to the frustration is Canada’s consistent failure to meet its international climate commitments. Unrealistic targets breed cynicism, especially when paired with negligible global impact. A newly elected Poilievre government might be tempted to take a reactionary approach that cancelled all climate measures. But this would be neither politically viable nor responsible.... 

"Instead, Canada should follow a pragmatic middle path, one inspired by the Copenhagen Consensus — a cost-benefit-driven approach that prioritizes technological innovation and adaptation over punitive measures. A reimagined Canadian climate policy would shift away from utopian targets and timelines. The net-zero goal, according to scientists aligned with the Copenhagen Consensus model, should be postponed to 2070 or even 2100, recognizing the long timelines required for energy transitions. Rather than subordinating everything to emissions reduction, the Conservatives should pursue a combined policy that aims to optimize economic growth, energy security, environmental quality and social cohesion....

"Governments should abandon attempts to 'pick winners' through subsidies or mandates, focusing instead on funding basic research and development.... Developing and commercializing new technologies at an organic pace is the most effective path toward meaningful emissions reductions. Equally important is the emphasis on adaptation and resilience. Climate policies should focus on protecting communities and infrastructure from immediate risks like flooding and extreme weather....

"A common-sense climate policy would also recognize Canada’s vast oil and natural gas reserves as assets rather than liabilities. Current regulations like the 2035 Clean Electricity mandate and the recently announced 'cap' on oil and gas emissions (actually, a draconian 35-percent reduction) undermine Canada’s energy security and economic stability. Revising or repealing these measures would ensure that the country’s resources contribute to both domestic needs and export markets.

"Reforms are urgently needed at the regulatory level to streamline environmental assessments and reduce delays in major projects, housing construction and capital investment, including the following:

1. Federal environmental reviews currently take years, sometimes over a decade.... Simplifying these processes while maintaining rigorous environmental standards would promote job creation and economic growth.
2. To address Canada’s housing crisis, federal climate-driven building mandates that inflate construction costs must be reconsidered.... 
3. Harmonizing Canada’s regulatory frameworks with those of the United States would facilitate cross-border trade and reduce compliance costs for industries.... While Canada should not blindly follow its neighbour’s lead, close alignment on key standards is the pragmatic choice.

"Finally, fostering federal-provincial harmony is essential. The Trudeau era has been marked by discord, with provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan bearing disproportionate burdens from federal policies. A collaborative approach that respects regional differences would not only improve governance but rebuild trust in the federation."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/11/30/lyman-a-common-sense-climate-policy-for-canada/

The original, full-length version of this article was recently published in C2C Journal.
https://c2cjournal.ca/2024/11/net-gain-a-common-sense-climate-change-policy-for-canada/

Alberta joins U.S. states' energy pact

Alberta premier Danielle Smith has signed on to the 12-state Governors' Coalition for Energy Security.

Alberta joins U.S. energy coalition to secure North America’s energy future | True North Wire | Isaac Lamoureux:

November 17, 2024 - "Alberta has become the first non-U.S. [political entity] to join a United States energy pact featuring 12 states that had already signed onto the coalition. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement Thursday, personally thanking Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu for inviting her, along with President-elect Donald Trump. Smith also thanked the other ten governors involved.

"Smith said that Alberta’s role in North American energy security is vital as the largest crude oil and natural gas supplier to the United States. 

With 200 billion barrels of recoverable oil, 200 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, significant natural gas liquids and ample pore space for carbon capture, Alberta’s contribution is set to grow even further as we look to work with the Trump Administration and other U.S. partners to increase our pipeline capacity to our greatest friend and ally, the United States.... We are proud to collaborate with this coalition of allied states in advancing energy security, reliability and affordability for Americans and Canadians....

"Alberta currently accounts for 56% of oil imports into the United States, double Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq combined.

"Landry said that the pact’s members share the goal of enhancing and protecting energy security, which he said will lead to lower energy costs, increased reliability, sustainable economic development, and wise management of energy resources and the environment. '

“I welcome Premier Smith and the insights she will bring as the leader from a fellow energy-producing province that, like my state, is under a federal system of government where national imperatives are not always aligned with state or provincial interests,' said Landry.

"The United States is the largest trading partner with Alberta, having $188 billion in bilateral trade in 2023. Energy products accounted for more than 80%, approximately $133.6 billion, of Alberta’s exports to the United States in 2023....

Alberta is a global leader in emissions reduction technologies and clean energy solutions. 'The province has captured about 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through carbon capture, utilization and storage technology, and has the ability to support the U.S. in developing new infrastructure and supply chains for future energy markets in the areas of hydrogen, renewables, small modular reactors and others,” reads Alberta’s press release. 

"The newly renamed Governors’ Coalition for Energy Security listed its goals in the press release issued by the Governor of Louisiana[:] ... 'to ensure families and businesses have the right to choose the energy they need, to minimize permitting and other regulatory barriers, limit expensive energy mandates, focus on affordability and reliability of energy infrastructure, and to coordinate to positively manage energy resources and the environment,' reads the press release....

"Smith issued an additional statement on Friday, saying she won’t wait for the [Canadian federal] Liberals to strengthen energy trade.... \

Alberta’s energy sector is a cornerstone of North America’s prosperity and we’re ready to work with our partners in the United States, especially @realDonaldTrump, to ensure that remains true.... Alberta’s resources are critical to energy security, economic growth, and the strong ties between our countries. Together, we can build a future that benefits both sides of the border — because when Alberta succeeds, the United States thrives. Let’s power that future, hand in hand.

"The 12 signatory states included in the energy pact are Louisiana, New Hampshire, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Dakota, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Virginia."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/11/17/alberta-energy-coalition-us/

We can’t sacrifice U.S. friendship if Mexico is a trade irritant: Alberta premier | Power & Politics | CBC News | November 15, 2024:

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: 

NDP bill bans saying nice things about fossil fuels

NDP private member's bill in the Commons would prescribe jail time for saying nice things about fossil fuels.

NDP bill would prescribe jail terms for speaking well of fossil fuels | National Post | Tristin Hopper: 

February 7, 2024 - "An NDP bill is seeking to criminalize the 'promotion' of fossil fuels, and prescribe jail time even for Canadians who say scientifically true things such as how burning natural gas is cleaner than burning coal. C-372, also known as the Fossil Fuel Advertising Act, was tabled Monday as a private member’s bill by Charlie Angus, the MP for Timmins-James Bay and a longtime member of the NDP caucus.

"'Today, I am proud to rise and introduce a bill that would make illegal false advertising by the oil and gas industry,' Angus announced in the House of Commons. He added that the oil and gas sector was trafficking in 'disinformation' and 'killing people'.... But C-372 goes well beyond merely banning advertising by oil and gas companies. "As ... written, the act would technically apply to any Canadian who is found to be speaking well of the oil industry, or of oil generally.

"'It is prohibited for a person to promote a fossil fuel, a fossil fuel-related brand element or the production of a fossil fuel,' reads the act. Violate this as a regular citizen, and the act prescribes summary conviction and a fine of up to $500,000. Violate it as an oil company, and the punishment could be as strict as two years in jail or a fine of $1,000,000.

"Angus defines 'promotion\ so broadly that it could technically apply to something as simple as a Facebook post or even an 'I Love Canadian Oil and Gas' bumper sticker. Promotion, according to Bill C-372, means '‍a representation about a product or service by any means … that is likely to influence and shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about the product or service.‍' The act also criminalizes a laundry list of common pro-oil and gas arguments, even ones that have a reliable basis in fact. 

"Section 8 of the act makes it a crime for 'a person' to argue that a fossil fuel is 'less harmful than other fossil fuels.' Natural gas, for instance, generates energy with far fewer emissions or pollutants than diesel, coal, bunker fuel or any number of 'dirtier' fuels..... Nevertheless, according to C-372, anybody making such an argument should face a jail term of up to two years or a 'fine not exceeding $500,000.'

"Section 8 also criminalizes any 'promotion' which argues that fossil fuels are beneficial to 'the health of Canadians, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples or the Canadian or global economy.' As such, the section could conceivably prescribe jail terms for anybody arguing that the oil and gas sector is a key funder of the Canadian health-care system, or even that oil and gas is needed to operate ambulances and MedEvac flights. Similarly, Canadians would face sanction for saying that the extraction and selling of oil is a net contributor to the country’s economy — a claim that is actually made quite often by the federal government itself. 'Oil and gas extraction is an important contributor to the Canadian economy,' reads a recent report by Statistics Canada.

"The bill would also bring the hammer down on the ability of Canadian gas stations to hold contests or issue loyalty cards. Bill C-372 would make it illegal for a retailer to 'provide or offer to provide any consideration for the purchase of a fossil fuel.' Any contest offering “free gas” would also be criminalized, under the bill’s prohibition on offers to 'furnish or offer to furnish a fossil fuel without monetary consideration'....

"Angus allows that movies, plays and musical performances would be allowed to 'use or depict fossil fuels' or even show 'the production of fossil fuels' — provided that the creator can prove that they have no links to an entity that 'has as one of its purposes to promote fossil fuels.' Canadians would also be allowed to express an 'opinion, commentary or report in respect of fossil fuels' if similar guidelines are followed.|

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/ndp-bill-jail-terms-fossil-fuels

NDP MP Charlie Angus discusses his bill on fossil fuel advertising | cpac | February 6, 2024:

French court orders wind farm demolished

Wind farm, Cormainville, Francem 2008. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

French court orders demolition of wind farm due to bird deaths | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer:

December 18, 2023 - "[A] French court ... has ordered the wholesale demolition of a wind farm in the southern Languedoc region of the country after it was implicated in the deaths of thousands of birds and bats, including endangered Golden eagles. Moreover, it ordered the German-based operator to restore the land to its original state within 15 months or face stiff penalties of €3,000 — CAD$4,400 — for every day of non-compliance.

"The onshore facility was commissioned in 2016 and is located near the southern town of Lunas.  It has been the subject of a series of legal proceedings brought by residents and conservation groups alike, with the latter arguing it was directly harmful to wildlife in the area, including Golden eagles.  The developer was originally ordered to dismantle the wind farm by a court in Montpellier in 2021 but won on appeal. It had been previously rejected — and overturned — in 2006 and again [in] 2017.

"Those challenges became more urgent after French media reported that the body of a golden eagle deemed to have been killed by a wind turbine blade was found at the foot of a turbine in January of this year. A subsequent study had found the wind farm had led to the deaths of more than 1,000 birds and bats.

"In its latest ruling the court found an environmental impact assessment submitted in 2013 during the approval process was 'insufficient' because it allowed construction in an area where golden eagles were nesting. In 2019, more than 1,099 dead birds were found; it is a real cemetery at the foot of wind turbines,' said Nicolas Gallon, a lawyer for the environment groups.... 

"The German operator, EnBW said its French subsidiary — Energies Renouvelables du Languedoc-Valeco — would be appealing the decision with France's Supreme Court."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/french-court-orders-demolition-of-wind-farm-due-to-bird-deaths/51151

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:

New UK law criminalizes energy non-compliance

The British government's recently-passed Energy Bill allows for creating new criminal offenses, punishable by fines and/or imprisonment, for non-compliance with the government's energy regulations.

UK homeowners face jail or £15k fine in Energy Bill crackdown | Energy Live News | Dimitris Mavrokefalidis:

September 3, 2023 - "The Energy Bill currently under consideration includes provisions for imposing penalties on homeowners who do not comply with newly introduced energy performance regulations. These penalties encompass imprisonment of up to one year or fines amounting to £15,000 [$25,000 CND]....

"The government aims to reinforce efforts directed towards achieving net zero by granting authorities the ability to establish criminal offences and augment civil penalties. In the Energy Bill, it is stated: 'Energy performance regulations may provide for the creation of criminal offences.'

"Individuals may also face prosecution for providing 'false information' regarding energy efficiency or obstructing an enforcement authority. According to the proposals: 'Energy smart regulations may create offences relating to the obstruction of persons acting on behalf of enforcement authorities.'"

Read more: https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/09/03/uk-homeowners-face-jail-or-15k-fine-in-energy-bill-crackdown/

Net zero: Britons risk facing JAIL TIME for not abiding by Sunak's Energy Bill rules | GBNews | September 6, 2023:

Good God! Is Britain really going to jail people who disagree with net zero? | Daily Express | Lois Perry: 

September 6, 2023 - "Many are questioning the necessity and feasibility of the draconian net zero measures contained in the flagship Energy Bill which cleared the Commons at third reading yesterday, and they're rightly worried property owners facing criminal charges for opposing them.... [U]nder this new legislation, those who fail to adhere to energy consumption regulations could face imprisonment for up to a year and fines of up to £15,000.... Most shockingly, the legislation provides for 'the creation of criminal offences' where there is 'non-compliance with a requirement imposed by or under energy performance regulations'.... 

"The proposed legislation grants the Government (and it could be either party given the election next year) the power to create new criminal offences and increase penalties in pursuit of their net-zero globalist goals. Critics argue that this move starkly contradicts the will of the British people and fortunately has sparked a high degree of opposition from some members of the Conservative Party.... [T]here are very real concerns that these amendments could lead to the criminalisation of individuals who do not comply with the new energy rules. It’s this pandemic-style shift in power dynamics – this time using the Climate rather than Covid - which is the source of worry for many. To address these concerns, it is vital for the electorate to communicate their views loud and clear to their Members of Parliament. It's crucial to ensure that the criminalisation of energy use without public consent does not become a reality.

"My organisation CAR26 conducted YouGov polls in October 2021 and February 2022, which revealed in both instances, that a significant proportion of the British public supports the idea of a net zero referendum. In fact the numbers supporting a referendum went up the second time around. This suggests that there is a desire for a more inclusive and democratic approach to shaping these policies. 

"Before turning the questioning of net zero into a criminal offence, the Government should consider conducting a thorough review and hold a referendum to gauge public opinion.... If a referendum is not pursued (both Boris and now Rishi ruled it out so don’t hold your breath) it is essential to demand clear assurances from the Government that they will not enforce net zero targets without explicitly outlining them in an election party manifesto."

Read more: https://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/1809903/Uk-net-zero-rules-energy-bill-jail-for-new-zero-jacob-rees-mogg

Carbon tax costs provincial Liberals safe NS seat

Backlash against the federal Liberal carbon tax fueled a landslide Progressive Conservative victory in a Nova Scotia seat the provincial Liberals have held for 20 years. 

In a troubling sign for Trudeau’s Liberals, the Atlantic ‘red wall’ looks less sturdy | The Hub | Geoff Russ

August 10, 2023 - "In what could be a troubling sign for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a byelection this week in Nova Scotia, fraught with debate about the carbon tax and the state of the Liberal brand, ended in a once-safe provincial Liberal seat being lost in a landslide.... The riding of Preston had been held by the Nova Scotia Liberals for the last 20 years, but the byelection saw their support collapse with the Liberal candidate placing third behind the Progressive Conservative [PC] winner and the NDP runner-up.  

Courtesy CTV News.

"The Progressive Conservatives heavily focused on criticizing what they described as the 'Liberal carbon tax,' which PC Premier Tim Houston has been vocally opposed to.... 

"There have increasingly been signs that Atlantic Canada, which was a stronghold for the Liberals in the 2015 election and has mostly stayed red since, is wavering. A recent poll by Abacus Data found the Liberals in the unenviable spot of lagging behind in all regions of the country, with the Conservatives leading in Atlantic Canada and the Bloc Québécois leading in Quebec.... And as ire on the east coast about the carbon tax mixes with general frustration about inflation and the cost of living, the Conservatives could see an opportunity to tear down the Liberal 'red wall' in the Atlantic provinces....

"David Tarrant lauds Twila Gross, the PC challenger in Preston, for a strong campaign but says external factors also helped turn Preston’s voters against the Liberals.... 'This summer for the first time, Nova Scotians felt the full vice of the Trudeau Liberal carbon tax, with immense pressure and pain to peoples’ cost of living, and the rather indifferent response from the federal government and the prime minister has massively damaged the Liberal brand in Nova Scotia.' 

"A recent Nanos Research poll found 73 percent of Canadians surveyed in Atlantic Canada believe it is the wrong time to implement a carbon tax. Canada-wide, the poll found just 32 percent of Canadians surveyed believe carbon taxes are an effective way to reduce carbon emissions.  

"Unlike the Ontario Liberals, who are operationally independent of the federal Liberals despite strong grassroots ties, the Nova Scotia Liberals are an official branch of the federal party.... Tarrant says Preston’s voters did not differentiate between the provincial and federal Liberal parties when it came to their frustrations about the carbon tax.... 

"Tarrant says the negative reaction to the federal carbon tax will be felt in all parts of Canada, with the exceptions of B.C. and Quebec which implemented their own provincial carbon taxes years ago. 'In every other part of the country, ... the number one drag on the LPC right now is the carbon tax,' says Tarrant. 'It’s gonna cost them seats… [I]f I’m a provincial Liberal, one of my big strategic dilemmas is how do I separate myself from the national party?'"

Read more: https://thehub.ca/2023-08-10/in-a-troubling-sign-for-trudeaus-liberals-the-atlantic-red-wall-looks-less-sturdy/

Canadians pay for nothing to 'fight climate change'

We're paying money for nothing to 'fight' climate change | Toronto Sun | Lorrie Goldstein:

June 3, 2023 - "Making people pay more to heat their homes in Atlantic Canada isn’t going to stop wildfires in Alberta, or for that matter in Atlantic Canada. Subsidizing electric vehicle battery plants in Ontario isn’t going to stop flooding in British Columbia. This is the logical fallacy Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government engage in when they link their carbon pricing regime and massive subsidies for so-called clean technology to addressing climate change. There’s no link.... Canada could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero tomorrow and it would have no effect on the weather in Canada.

"Rarely is this mentioned. When it is, the Liberals go berserk, as they did, when Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux noted in his recent report on the costs to Canadians of the federal government’s clean fuel regulations, 'Canada’s own emissions are not large enough to materially impact climate change.'

"According to the federal government’s own data, Canada’s emissions in 2019 were 724 million tonnes — 1.5% of global emissions, down from 1.8% in 2005 — while global emissions during the same period increased 23.6%, from 38,669 million tonnes to 48,117 million tonnes. The highest-emitting country in 2019, according to the same data, was China with 12,705 million tonnes, or 26.4% of global emissions, up 74.8% from 2005.

"As Kenneth Green noted in a recent Fraser Institute report, which estimated the federal emissions cap will cost the Canadian economy more than $44 billion in 2030, even if Canada eliminated all emissions expected from the oil and gas sector in 2030, 'the reduction would equal four-tenths of 1% of global emissions.'

"Environment Canada, always ready to guilt-trip Canadians on climate change, reported that 'in 2019, Canada was the highest GHG-emitting country per capita among the top 10 emitting countries with 19.6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.' That put Canada ahead of, in descending order, the U.S., Russia, Iran, Japan, China, European Union (27 countries), Brazil, Indonesia and India. Except comparing Canada to other nations by selectively using emissions per capita is highly misleading, because Canada is the second-largest and second-coldest country on earth with a relatively small population.

"By contrast, when emissions are measured per square kilometres, Canada drops to 140th place among the world’s 215 countries and regions identified by the United Nations when it reported on the global data in 2007. When environmental consultants Sustainable Business Consulting looked at the same metric in 2019 using 2017 data, Canada was the 129th largest emitter out of 184 countries, with lower emissions per square kilometre than any of the world’s top 10 emitters, save for Brazil.....

"The single largest contributor to global emissions is using coal to generate electricity. Our federal government says Canada gets 6% of its electricity from coal, a 55% decrease since 2011. By contrast, China gets almost 60% of its electricity from coal. India gets 70% of its electricity from coal.

"The Trudeau government’s carbon pricing regime and climate change policies, which are adding to the financial hardships faced by Canadians in tough economic times, are based on the logic that we have to do something, so this is something. What it ignores is that the solution to lowering emissions, to be effective, has to be a global one. Without that, Canadians are and will be paying money for nothing to ‘fight’ climate change for years to come."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/goldstein-were-paying-money-for-nothing-to-fight-climate-change

Read Fraser Institute report: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/canadas-ghg-cap-on-the-oil-and-gas-industry-is-all-pain-with-no-gain

GUILBEAULT PLAYS ABSURD BLAME GAME: Attacks Conservatives, but not China, on climate change | Toronto Sun | Lorrie Goldstein | June 7, 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:

Canada's Liberals table 'Justin Transition' Bill C-50

Liberals table 'Just Transition' legislation in House | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer: 

June 15, 2023 - "The Liberals followed through on [a] long awaited threat to gut Alberta’s energy sector by introducing its so-called ‘sustainable jobs’ legislation in Ottawa Thursday morning. The formal title of the bill is 'An Act respecting accountability, transparency and engagement to support the creation of sustainable jobs for workers and economic growth in a net-zero economy' but everyone east of the Ontario-Manitoba border knows it simply as the ’Just Transition Act.’

"Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson appeared alongside Labour Minister Seamus O’Reagan, union representatives and members of the NDP to announce plans to create a ‘sustainable jobs council’ and a ‘sustainable jobs secretariat’ under a five-year plan. In remarks televised from the West Block, Wilkinson said 'the country’s economic future will need aligning,' and thanked the NDP for their support. Although he pledged to 'work with the provinces,' ironically there were no premiers in attendance.

"Plans to introduce the legislation were announced in this spring’s federal budget. At an appearance in Edmonton in April, Wilkinson hinted the legislation would be delayed after strong opposition from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who called it 'short-sighted' and 'harmful' to the province....

"Bill C-50 has already received first reading this morning. Already Ontario’s labour unions, including the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) were voicing unqualified support. 'With the mounting impacts of climate change, such as devastating wildfires and extreme storms, Canadians are witnessing firsthand the urgent need for action,' CLC said in a statement."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/liberals-table-just-transition-legislation-in-house/article_5c1b0270-0b8e-11ee-a431-57f40a98b996.html

Liberals unveil Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act. So what's the plan? | CBC News | June 15, 2023: 

Here comes the Just Transition | Western Standard | Nigel Hannaford: 

June 15, 2023 - "When Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson introduced Bill C-50 this morning, he called it the ‘Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act.’ But don’t be fooled by the bait-and-switch messaging. The legislation Minister Wilkinson announced today that's already passed First Reading in the House of Commons, is part of the Liberal plan to replace Alberta’s hydrocarbon economy with some kind of green fantasy economy. A year ago, they called it the ‘Just Transition’ — oddly enough a phrase coined some time before by Alberta’s own NDP.... 

"According to Natural Resources Canada, the minister had with this legislation — Bill C-50 — advanced just ‘one of the 10 key action areas’ outlined in the government’s Interim Sustainable Jobs Plan, announced earlier this year. This bill provides for an advisory body, a series of five-year plans and ‘a sustainable jobs secretariat to enable policy and program coherence across federal entities etc.…’ Nine more ‘key action areas’ to go....

"The legislation is national in scope, but Alberta and Saskatchewan, being oil and gas-producing provinces, by definition bear the brunt. Not too many Liberal seats to lose out west, so that wasn't hard....

"Premier Danielle Smith [has] offered her government’s broad support to the federal government’s emission-reduction goals, but says ‘no’ to the latest Trudeau fatuity of capping emissions or achieving a net-zero electrical grid by 2035. In her ‘warning to Ottawa,’ she said, 'As premier I cannot allow these contemplated federal policies to be inflicted upon Albertans. I simply can't and I won't.' It was well said. Now may it be well done. Where's that Sovereignty Act?"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/hannaford-here-comes-the-just-transition/article_15db10e4-0b9c-11ee-9403-17ae71e4da89.html

New York state to ban gas stoves in new buildings

New York state's new budget includes a ban on natural gas stoves in new construction.

Gas Stove Bans Promoted From Baseless Conspiracy Theory to New York State Policy | Reason - Christian Britschgi:

May 3, 2023 - "The government actually is coming for your gas stove. New York's new state budget includes a provision banning gas stoves in new residential construction. CNN reports that only electric stoves will be allowed in buildings under seven stories by 2026 and taller buildings by 2029.

"The policy is the latest successful attack on an appliance used and cherished by millions of Americans. Berkeley, California, was the first city to ban gas stoves in new buildings in 2019. A handful of other California cities have since followed suit. New York City adopted a local-level ban at the end of 2021. It goes into effect next year for smaller buildings....

"When Consumer Product Safety Commission member Richard Trumka Jr. suggested this ban could be adopted nationwide, gas stove owners everywhere flipped out. In response to the backlash, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) assured everyone that government gas-grabbing was a MAGA conspiracy theory. Mainstream media fact-checkers said much the same thing. In the senator's state, at least, the conspiracists did have something to worry about.

"Supporters of gas stove bans argue that the gas needed to fuel them is bad for the climate and that the emissions they produce within the home are bad for your health. 

"Steve Everley, writing in National Review in January, covered several flaws in the most recent studies finding serious health impacts from gas stoves. Experimental studies that found links between gas stoves and child asthma used airtight rooms without ventilation. The author of another much-touted meta-analysis finding a link between gas stoves and child asthma said their study 'does not assume or estimate a causal relationship.' Masses of earlier studies, Everley notes, have found no health impacts from gas stoves.

"In the short-term, mandated electrification of appliances is probably worse for the climate. On-site use of gas stoves and furnaces uses almost all the energy in the gas. Generating electricity from gas and then using that electricity to power appliances is much less efficient. Of New York's 10 largest power plants, for instance, five are powered by natural gas.

"Another reason to oppose gas stove bans is that people like their gas stoves. 'Most home chefs — and pretty much all professional chefs — will tell you that electric stoves take a long time to heat up and are far less responsive when changing heat levels. Induction stoves, which are actually quite fast to heat up, require different types of cookware and kitchen thermometers, in addition to being a lot more expensive than electric stoves,' wrote Reason's Liz Wolfe earlier this year....

"Trumka's comments saw Republicans and Democrats in Congress propose legislation to protect the appliances from a federal ban. A recent federal appeals court case also struck down Berkeley's ban.... That decision was highly technical, however, and likely leaves other avenues for gas stove bans to be passed at the state and local levels."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/05/03/gas-stove-bans-promoted-from-baseless-conspiracy-theory-to-new-york-state-policy/

Restaurant industry pushes back amid N.Y. move to ban gas stoves in new buildings | NBC News | May 4, 2023:

Canada's Liberals swing sharply statist

Policy resolutions passed at this month's Liberal Party of Canada convention show a party structure and membership that want a far more authoritarian and interventionist federal government. 

Abolish the free press, and other fringe policies just adopted by the Liberals | National Post - Tristin Hopper, First Reading:

May 10, 2023 - "One of the most notable items to emerge from last weekend’s Liberal Party convention was that party members voted to effectively abolish the existence of a free press. A resolution – passed without debate – said the party should 'explore options to hold online information services accountable for the veracity of material published on their platforms.'  

"Party resolutions are non-binding and they’re typically more extreme than the platforms that parties will ultimately sell to voters come election time.... However, it’s notable that the Liberals are now entertaining far more extreme positions than they used to.... Now, party members are flirting with federal legislation to banish cars from cities, enact a guaranteed income and culturally remake the Prairies.... 

"[T]wo resolutions ... advocate ... unprecedented curbs on Canadian free speech. A resolution on 'combatting misinformation' says that the federal government should 'limit publication' of the online news media to those whose 'sources can be traced.' So, if you’re a news outlet employing anonymous sources – say, like [those] that first broke the SNC-Lavalin scandal – ... the federal government should ban you from the internet. And then there’s the 'truth in politics' resolution, which proposes the establishment of an 'independent body' that would impose 'sanctions' on political parties that it deems are not telling the truth....

"To remain 'culturally competitive' with the rest of the world, Canada should buckle down on building 'walkable and bikeable' cities. This resolution also warns that the goal is often compromised by misinformation.... As such, this resolution recommends the creation of a fund paying cities to close 'major commercial streets to car traffic'....

"[T]here is a resolution that calls for a wholesale cultural and economic restructuring of the Canadian prairies — the part of Canada that just happens to never vote Liberal. Entitled 'A Green Transition for the Prairies Provinces,' it proposes a widespread campaign of bringing 'electrified' transportation and non-oil jobs to the remote and 'alienated' peoples of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. And just in case this resolution didn’t ping absolutely every single Alberta anxiety about the Liberal Party, it makes sure to note that top-down federal controls during the COVID-19 pandemic provide a model as to how to achieve 'desirable results' in transitioning the Prairies....

"Speaking of COVID-19, delegates also favoured the creation of a kind of permanent CERB, a 'Guaranteed Liveable Basic Income.' The resolution states that such a policy would end poverty and actually cost Canada nothing because it would 'increase entrepreneurship by giving everyone the ability to take risks whilst also significantly improving health and educational outcomes'....

"Delegates want[ed] Canada to build a high-speed rail line from Windsor to Quebec City. And then, they wanted Canada to draw up an 'affordable, accessible, modern and practical rail system' to serve everywhere else in Canada that has railroad tracks. No mention is made of VIA Rail, the Crown corporation that essentially has that exact mandate, and generally just delivers money-hemorrhaging, chronically late passenger rail service....

"[A resolution to] end all ‘subsidies’ to the oil sector ... sounds fine.... But ... consider what qualifies as an 'oil and gas subsidy.' The environmental groups which popularized the term count absolutely anything that could be framed as an energy company receiving services or even abstract in-kind support from the government. In recent years, this has grown to include federal research funding to clean up oil spills, grants to transition transit buses from diesel to natural gas and even the costs of arresting activist groups who illegally blockade natural gas projects. So, under its 'Climate Crisis' resolution, the Liberal Party calls for all of this to end. The resolution also calls for all public investment funds to be forced to divest from fossil fuels."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/wacky-policies-adopted-by-the-liberals-at-their-recent-convention

2023 Liberal Convention – Preview with party strategists | CPAC – May 4, 2023:

1,000s of free car chargers pulled from UK roads

Soaring energy costs have caused thousands of free charging stations to be removed from UK streets, putting a kink in government plans to switch drivers over to electric cars.

Electric car chargers, Newmarket, UK. Photo by Alamsen, 2015. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Thousands of electric car chargers pulled from UK roads after energy price surge | The Telegraph - James Titcomb:

May 7, 2023 - "Thousands of free electric car chargers have been pulled from Britain's roads over the past year as soaring energy costs makes them unaffordable to offer. The number of chargers offering free electricity has fallen from 5,715 a year ago to 3,568, a drop of almost 40%. They now make up less than one in 10 public chargers on Britain’s roads, compared to one in five a year ago.

"The drop in free top-up charging spots is the latest blow to the Government’s ambitions to attract motorists to electric cars by making it cheap and convenient to charge them away from home. The figures, from Zap Map, which monitors installations across the UK and is used by the Government to publish official data on charging points, come as concerns about the price of owning an electric vehicle threaten to slow their adoption.... 

"Free charging points were installed by supermarkets and car park operators as a way to attract owners of battery-powered vehicles, but wholesale electricity prices spiked last year amid concerns about energy security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While prices have come down, they remain more than double what they were two years ago.

"Tesco stopped offering free electric car charging to shoppers in November. The supermarket was the UK’s biggest provider of free points, having introduced them to hundreds of car parks since 2019. The Irish electricity network ESB began requiring payment for more than 300 previously free charging points in Northern Ireland at the end of April.

"Melanie Shufflebotham, Zap Map’s co-founder and chief operating officer, said: 'Free charging has been more common as an incentive for locations like supermarkets and car parks to draw in customers. But as electric vehicles become mainstream it’s quite reasonable that it is in decline.... We will continue to see lots more chargers and many may still be free as some destinations look to encourage green travel, but the percentage is likely to be low. Meanwhile charging either at home or on the public networks will continue to be more affordable on a pence per mile basis than petrol or diesel.'"

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/05/07/thousands-electric-car-chargers-uk-roads-energy-price-surge/