EDMONTON, AB: A new report from the Fraser Institute concerning the failure of Ontario’s coal phase out serves as a warning to the NDP government, the Wildrose Offficial Opposition said.
The report showed that the phase out of Ontario’s coal industry had only minor effects on the province’s air quality and drastically raised energy costs.
“This report shows that the NDP government is continuing to go down an ideological, bullheaded path,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said. “The fact that they only this month began to study the impact of their job-killing coal shutdown shows me and Albertans they have not considered the impact their policies will have on our province.”
The report concludes that not only did Ontario’s coal phase out result in minimal improvements in air quality and significantly raised energy costs, but that air quality improvements of the same degree could have been achieved through pollution control mechanisms instead of closing plants.
“The NDP government’s experiments in our electricity system have no benefit and will only raise costs,” Wildrose Shadow Electricity & Renewables Minister Don MacIntyre said. “If we’re led into an energy cost crisis similar to Ontario’s there will be very real economic results on everyday Albertans’ lives. With the carbon tax now in place, the NDP is continuing to kick Albertans while they’re down.”