EDMONTON, AB: An open letter from 30 municipalities confirms the NDP plan for climate change will damage the economy, and force Albertans to pay the price through higher power bills, the Wildrose Official Opposition said Wednesday.
The letter cites major concerns about the accelerated phase-out of coal generated electricity and the NDP’s climate change strategies saying, “it is inevitable that consumers will be immeasurably impacted through higher electricity rates.”
“Albertans are worried about what the NDP plan means for them, their jobs and the viability of their communities,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said. “These are legitimate concerns. With the NDP threatening a new carbon tax, an accelerated timeline for shutting down coal, and packaged with other tax increases, it is clear every Albertan will pay more for just about everything.”
Municipalities also warned in the letter that, “the prospect of rapidly rising electricity costs in the face of uncertainty and a prolonged economic downturn may be an untimely trade-off.”
Wildrose Shadow Electricity & Renewables Minister Don MacIntyre said that as Albertans experience job losses and wage cuts, they are now also faced with the bad news of higher power bills.
“For families sitting around their kitchen tables, they know this will mean less money to spend on their priorities. For seniors on fixed incomes, it will mean a lower quality of life,” MacIntyre said. “We need a reasonable and realistic plan to build up our renewable energy sector, but the path the NDP is going down will only mean more pain for Albertans already dealing with a weak economy.”
Wildrose believes in improving the regulatory and business environment for renewable projects and expanding the use of clean burning Alberta natural gas to help reduce CO2 emissions.