Re: McTEAGUE: Don't let the Liberals fool you on electric cars
Albertans who fantasize about separation from the rest of Canada all seem to have a couple of blind spots. They don't seem able to recognize either the climate crisis or the global energy transition away from fossil fuels, which they see as the perpetual fountain of Alberta prosperity.
A year ago in a community hall with 50 farmers and ranchers, I asked Cowley rancher Dixon Hammond if they've seen any effects from climate change and he replied, "Our wets are getting wetter, and our drys are getting drier." Hailstorms in 2020 and 2024 caused a combined $4 billion in damages in NE Calgary. And the wildfires that wiped out swaths of Slave Lake, Fort Mac and Jasper were driven by warm and dry conditions brought on by climate change. The world knows that this just keeps getting worse, the longer we burn fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the alternatives keep getting cheaper and more reliable.
Last year, both Trudeau and President Biden slapped 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) which have come down well below $20,000, while China's largest battery manufacturer, CATL, announced they warranty their EV batteries for 1.5 million km.
What do California, Texas and Pakistan all have in common? They've all installed more than 20 gigawatts of solar in the past five years.
Alberta's whole electricity grid has a capacity of roughly 23 gigawatts. Both California and Texas each have over 10 gigawatts of battery storage, so their surplus cheap solar power can be used through the evening.
While we in Alberta may choose to ignore climate change and the energy transition, they will not ignore us.
Who is going buy our beloved oil and gas exports in 10 years?
Roger Gagne
Calgary, Alberta