Alberta announces $4B climate plan
Jason Markusoff
edmontonjournal.com
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
EDMONTON - Premier Ed Stelmach announced $2 billion today for public transit and another $2 billion for capturing industrial greenhouse-gas emissions and storing them underground, as his Conservative government strives to prove its green credentials amid growing Canadian and international scrutiny.
Carbon capture and storage has formed the cornerstone of Alberta's climate-change strategy, although until now the government has done little to foster it, beyond setting up a task force. This investment is designed to spur three to five large-scale capture projects. In a news conference, Stelmach said this was the world's largest single investment in the widely touted technology.
The premier predicted that five million tonnes of climate-changing carbon dioxide from industry would be trapped underground - necessary to keep emissions from spiralling upwards as Alberta's oilsands and coal-power generation, its most-polluting industries, are set to expand rapidly.
The government expects energy companies to help pay for the vast, multibillion-dollar networks of pipelines, scrubbers and storage systems for carbon capture, but was vague today on how cost-sharing would occur.
The massive injection into public-transportation projects will be open to all bids from municipal governments, and is designed to help cities expand light-rail lines, help start inter-city train projects, purchase buses and develop park-and-ride lots.
jmarkusoff@thejournal.canwest.com
© Edmonton Journal 2008
