By: Nick Clark
Your comments are welcome following this blog. You can also learn more about green energy in Alberta here.
It’s November 30th and we’re concluding another month of record-breaking low Power Pool prices. Prices posted by generators in Alberta, Canada will be in the low $18/MWh range, down 14% from October. Prices never have been this low.
For retail customers on the “floating rate”, this will result in consumer retail prices remaining in the 3 cent/kWh range (for three consecutive months).
Alberta consumers now enjoy the lowest prices for electricity in Canada. This, after almost two decades of working through all the ups and downs in the market plus $16 billion invested by the private sector building a fleet of generation facilities in the province.
The trend has fallen over the last 3 years, and consumers have benefited.
Right now, consumers should be taking advantage of the lower prices and pocketing the savings while they can. Low prices will last for a while, but not forever. Things are going to change.
Looking ahead to 2016/2017 and beyond, there are a lot of changes on the horizon that will add new challenges to Alberta businesses and ultimately result in an increase in the cost of living for everyone.
The Alberta New Democrats are committed to the following:
Electricity at 3 cents is a bargain.
There’s no long-term contracts to sign, no penalty to cancel, low administration fees. This was the promise of deregulation: Those who are not taking advantage of the promise are missing the boat. The timing is ripe to take advantage of low electricity rates and save – while that opportunity is available.
We also cannot ignore that the climate crisis is creating a global shift in consciousness that will drive policy changes around the globe.
We believe it is a political “Field of Dreams”. At the same time, we hope that the ADMs, CEOs, directors, economists and policy advisors for the Alberta Utilities Commission, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), Alberta Energy, the Utilities Advocate, the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance and other key government departments will be able to temper dreams with a pinch of economic caution. Move ahead with due care and truly understand the potential for devastating risks and ramifications. There is a minefield of economic realities and a series of economic forecasting models that have not yet been shared with the citizens of Alberta.
We urge for a wise transition strategy in order to mitigate the negative repercussions. Arguing against related health care benefits as linked to the need to get control over climate change is like arguing against motherhood.
And, while we issue a word of caution, we also strongly believe that we all must do something to help protect our environment. It’s the reason we launched Green Alberta Energy earlier this month. We want to help in the quest for green energy using solar, wind, hydro and bio electricity.
It’s November 30th and we’re concluding another month of record-breaking low Power Pool prices. Prices posted by generators in Alberta, Canada will be in the low $18/MWh range, down 14% from October. Prices never have been this low.
For retail customers on the “floating rate”, this will result in consumer retail prices remaining in the 3 cent/kWh range (for three consecutive months).
Alberta consumers now enjoy the lowest prices for electricity in Canada. This, after almost two decades of working through all the ups and downs in the market plus $16 billion invested by the private sector building a fleet of generation facilities in the province.
The trend has fallen over the last 3 years, and consumers have benefited.
Right now, consumers should be taking advantage of the lower prices and pocketing the savings while they can. Low prices will last for a while, but not forever. Things are going to change.
"Alberta consumers now enjoy the lowest prices for electricity in Canada."
Looking ahead to 2016/2017 and beyond, there are a lot of changes on the horizon that will add new challenges to Alberta businesses and ultimately result in an increase in the cost of living for everyone.
The Alberta New Democrats are committed to the following:
- Implementing new royalties in the oil and gas sector;
- Increasing the Carbon Tax;
- Focusing on closing down coal plants.
Electricity at 3 cents is a bargain.
There’s no long-term contracts to sign, no penalty to cancel, low administration fees. This was the promise of deregulation: Those who are not taking advantage of the promise are missing the boat. The timing is ripe to take advantage of low electricity rates and save – while that opportunity is available.
We also cannot ignore that the climate crisis is creating a global shift in consciousness that will drive policy changes around the globe.
We believe it is a political “Field of Dreams”. At the same time, we hope that the ADMs, CEOs, directors, economists and policy advisors for the Alberta Utilities Commission, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), Alberta Energy, the Utilities Advocate, the Alberta Treasury Board and Finance and other key government departments will be able to temper dreams with a pinch of economic caution. Move ahead with due care and truly understand the potential for devastating risks and ramifications. There is a minefield of economic realities and a series of economic forecasting models that have not yet been shared with the citizens of Alberta.
We urge for a wise transition strategy in order to mitigate the negative repercussions. Arguing against related health care benefits as linked to the need to get control over climate change is like arguing against motherhood.
And, while we issue a word of caution, we also strongly believe that we all must do something to help protect our environment. It’s the reason we launched Green Alberta Energy earlier this month. We want to help in the quest for green energy using solar, wind, hydro and bio electricity.