Wildrose vs. PCs on Electricity
The latest ThinkHQ Public Affairs poll shows the Wildrose Party at 43% support with the PCs at 30%, and puts the Wildrose on track for a majority government (Globe and Mail). With this latest poll putting the Wildrose 13 points ahead of the incumbent PCs, we thought we would compare what Wildrose leader Danielle Smith has said about electricity compared to PC leader Alison Redford.
Danielle Smith wants to:
1) Cancel the Heartland line, approved by the AUC last November, because she does not think it is needed.
2) Get the Heartland line buried if it proceeds.
3) Repeal the controversial Electric Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 50) and re-instate the impartial public review of all new high voltage power lines.
4) Advocate the use of cheaper, more plentiful, and much cleaner natural gas instead of coal for power generation. This is in line with the federal government’s call for coal-fired power generation to be phased out.
5) Encourage Albertans to sell locally-generated power from co-generation, wind, solar, biomass and other alternatives.
6) Reform the way electricity is bought and sold to reduce price spikes.
7) See power generators and transmitters minimize costs instead of ratepayers subsidizing inefficiencies.
Alison Redford wants to:
1) Get the Heartland line built as soon as possible.
2) See new high voltage power lines continue to be built above ground.
3) Keep Bill 50.
4) Continue Alberta’s reliance on coal-fired electricity generation (and its higher greenhouse gas emissions), as opposed to encouraging more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
5) Continue to permit power to be bought and sold so the power companies benefit and consumers pay higher prices.
6) Continue to have ratepayers pay 100% of all power transmission infrastructure costs, with no competitive bidding on projects.
We encourage Albertans to check into the electricity policies of all parties running candidates in the current provincial election campaign.
R.E.T.A. 