Alberta Unveils Zero Coal Plan

Alberta zero coal plan

Canada’s Alberta province has announced an ambitious climate action plan that will see two-thirds of all coal-fired electricity replaced by renewables, a cap on emissions from oil production, along with a hefty price on carbon emissions for all citizens that will pack a punch at the petrol pump.

The plan aims to phase out all coal-fired power in the oil-rich province by 2030 and sets a 30 percent target for renewable energy production over the next 15 years.

An economy-wide carbon tax of CAD $20/ton will be introduced in January 2017 and rise to $30/ton in 2018. It’s estimated this would cost average Albertans 4.7 cents more per litre of petrol at the pumps in 2017, and 5.5 cents more per litre of diesel, plus an extra $320 to heat their homes in 2017; rising to $470 by 2018.

But Alberta Premier Rachel Notley was quick to reassure citizens that all revenue would flow directly back into energy efficiency measures and spending on sustainable infrastructure like public transport as well as support for lower-income families and affected coal workers.

“We are going to do our part to address one of the world’s greatest problems,” said Alberta Premier, Rachel Notley. “We are going to put capital to work, investing in new technologies, better efficiency, and job-creating investments in green infrastructure. We are going to write a made-in-Alberta policy that works for our province and our industries, and keeps our capital here in Alberta.”

In the short term, renewable electricity – mostly wind power – will replace two-thirds of the electricity currently produced by coal-fired power generation in Alberta’s electricity supply mix, with natural gas making up baseload power supply.

The really, really big elephant in Alberta’s room is its lucrative but destructive and emissions- intensive tar sands industry. The plan imposes a 100-megaton limit on carbon from oil sands projects; plus its share of  a strategy to reduce Alberta’s methane emissions by 45 percent from 2014 levels by 2025.

President of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), Robert Hornburg, praised Alberta’s climate plan, particularly the part wind power will play in the transition away from coal.

“Wind energy is one of the most cost-competitive ways to generate new electricity in Alberta and Alberta is wise to draw on its tremendous wind energy resources to help replace coal-fired electricity in the province,” he said.

“Alberta’s decision to move away from coal-fired electricity generation and dramatically increase its use of renewable energy reflects a trend happening in countries all over the world More renewable energy in Alberta will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean the air, and produce significant new investment and jobs – particularly in rural areas of the province.”

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