Alberta Politics Thread

[GaiJin]

http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/08/02...ect-businesses
Cue the Enron Boogyman again, they never mention Enmax or Epcor, when they are painting the picture of the big bad corporate bullies raping Albertans and Alberta businesses. I can assume they keep saying Enron, because Enron is no more and therefore they can besmirch the name as much as they want? Bilous doesn't talk about how the carbon levy itself will increase operating costs.

[Weitz]

They say Enron because people who won't take the time to learn about the whole situation will just think Enron. Enron has negative connotations. Advances the NDP's agenda.

Why do you think EOG isn't called Enron Oil and Gas anymore

[CaptainCrunch]

Its pretty disgusting, I give credit to the Sun for giving this clown a bully pulpit to fire off the same crap as Hoffman word for word.

They really think we're entirely stupid about this thing, and we're going to some how make this threat about what Enron did to people with what companies like Enmax are doing.

The thing that's really wrong is our Premiere has basically vanished from the scene and is hiding behind the lies of her government by leaving a unlikeable group of MLA's out in front of her.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Good lord. That article is carrying so much water for the NDP leadership that they should just build a hydro dam and use it to recoup all of their losses from this debacle.

[puffnstuff]

I am quite sure these companies will be happy to take the 2 billion dollar loss and then use that money to build new power plants...oh wait, thats not how money works you say? Well then.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Good lord. That article is carrying so much water for the NDP leadership that they should just build a hydro dam and use it to recoup all of their losses from this debacle.

It's a guest column from an NDP cabinet member.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Weitz

They say Enron because people who won't take the time to learn about the whole situation will just think Enron. Enron has negative connotations. Advances the NDP's agenda.

Why do you think EOG isn't called Enron Oil and Gas anymore

... or because Enron was the buyer (the only buyer) who raised the issue with the Utilities Commission on the day before the auction began.

[Bootsy]

Originally Posted by Makarov

... or because Enron was the buyer (the only buyer) who raised the issue with the Utilities Commission on the day before the auction began.

That's a total load of crap and I don't buy it for a second. The NDP are proving not only to be incompetent but corrupt as well.

I think I'll believe people who were actually in the room.

" But Neil McCrank, who was chair of the EUB when the PPA rules were enacted, said he couldn’t remember Enron having any involvement in the process.

“For anything that was of contention, we would ensure that all parties would have a chance to comment on it,” said McCrank, who also served as Alberta’s deputy minister of justice. “If they weren’t in contention, that’s fine.” "

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Makarov

... or because Enron was the buyer (the only buyer) who raised the issue with the Utilities Commission on the day before the auction began.

Source? Other than a comment from the deputy Premier to the paper?

[Violator]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

For perspective, that is 8.5 new Shepard Energy Centre's worth of CC power alone in 14 years just to reach the Combined Cycle target. Shepard cost $1.4 billion, so about $12 billion.

At $1.5 per MW we are looking at another $6.3 billion for wind.

Throw in roughly another $1.5 billion for solar, Co-gen($2billion?), Simple cycle($2 billion?) and we start to talk about real money here...Looks like we've found the solution to our unemployment problems.

Alberta's got it's own New Deal!

Might as well use the hundreds of billions of cuft of natural gas Alberta has to power our homes.

Natural gas is still pretty cheap isn't it?

[Fuzz]

They are putting a 50% CO2 tax on it, so ya, it's cheap today. Not tomorrow.

[LanceUppercut]

Originally Posted by GaiJin

http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/08/02...ect-businesses

I couldn't get past the first paragraph of that steaming load of bull####.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Source? Other than a comment from the deputy Premier to the paper?

Directly from the province's Application materials. Obviously, those are just allegations but its one side of the story. It may be years until we have a clearer picture.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Directly from the province's Application materials. Obviously, those are just allegations but its one side of the story. It may be years until we have a clearer picture.

Which will be long after the Balancing Pool passes on the charges to the ratepayers. This action might prevent the Balancing Pool from taking the correct action of terminating the contracts early and paying out the termination penalties rather than the full value of the contracts.

[para transit fellow]

I stumbled on this article on twitter. It was interesting to go back to the politcal discussions of the day when the electric industry was "deregulated"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle25442551/


The president of the iron foundry also made this presentation (pdf). Some interesting slides are the original Goverment of Alberta pamphlets describing the vision of deregulation.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...3LDkXd-8w5oolA

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

I stumbled on this article on twitter. It was interesting to go back to the politcal discussions of the day when the electric industry was "deregulated"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle25442551/


The president of the iron foundry also made this presentation (pdf). Some interesting slides are the original Goverment of Alberta pamphlets describing the vision of deregulation.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...3LDkXd-8w5oolA

Wow the writing in that article from 2001 is head and shoulders above what we get these days.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Directly from the province's Application materials. Obviously, those are just allegations but its one side of the story. It may be years until we have a clearer picture.

What makes you say this? I actually don't know when the JR is scheduled for, I would have thought they could expedite it.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

I stumbled on this article on twitter. It was interesting to go back to the politcal discussions of the day when the electric industry was "deregulated"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle25442551/


The president of the iron foundry also made this presentation (pdf). Some interesting slides are the original Goverment of Alberta pamphlets describing the vision of deregulation.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...3LDkXd-8w5oolA

Good read, thank you. It's interesting to note that the dire predictions quoted in that article never became a reality. Alberta has enjoyed highly competitive pricing in the last decade in comparison to provinces with regulated markets.

[Resolute 14]

According to Manitoba Hydro, Calgary and Edmonton have some of the best rates in the country: https://www.hydro.mb.ca/regulatory_a...ate_comp.shtml

[OMG!WTF!]

Not only the lowest rates. But we have no debt for our power. That is outstanding. And we have companies in place willing to borrow to fund our future power needs. Or more accurately, we had companies willing to do so...

http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/bl...r-company-debt

“For investment to happen, companies are going to need long-term purchase agreements,” he said.

Says the u of c prof in 2015 before the NDP totally mangled what was actually a great thing.