Van De Biezenbos, Coleman – A 40-year-old Treaty Could Save Line 5
From: Kristen van de Biezenbos and James Coleman To: Canadians Concerned about Pipelines Date: February 17, 2021 Re: A 40-year-old Treaty Could Save Line 5 Joe Biden’s early use of his executive power to stop the Keystone XL pipeline raises the question of whether he would use similar authorities to attack existing oil links between the United States and Canada, […] Glen Hodgson – Three Drivers Will Shape Our Low-carbon Future
From: Glen Hodgson To: Canadian Emission Watchers Date: February 10, 2021 Re: Three Drivers Will Shape Our Low-Carbon Future Shaping a successful economy with much lower GHG emissions will be an ever-present challenge for the next three decades. The low-carbon transition has begun, but is still at a very early stage. We have only a broad idea of […] Jon Johnson – Cancellation Of The Keystone Permit: What To Do
From: Jon Johnson To: Global Affairs Canada, TC Energy and the Biden Administration Date: January 28, 2021 Re: Cancellation of the Keystone Permit – What to do It is no surprise that one of President Joe Biden’s first acts was to cancel TC Energy’s Keystone permit. So where does this leave us? It is reported […] S3 E2: Keystone XL with Kristen van de Biezenbos
The US President has scrapped the Keystone XL pipeline. Is this the end of the southbound extension for TC Energy and the province of Alberta? The University of Calgary’s Kristen van de Biezenbos warns the White House isn’t the biggest threat to the oil rich province: it’s the states. What will define the road map to net-zero GHG emissions? – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Shaping a successful economy with much lower GHG emissions will be an ever-present challenge for the next three decades. The low-carbon transition has begun, but is still at a very early stage; we have only a broad idea of what the transition might look like in the years ahead. Nevertheless, legislative assemblies, including here in Canada, have charged ahead and declared the ambition of attaining an economy with no net GHG emissions by 2050.
There will not be a single common pathway – many already exist or will emerge, and they will compete for market positioning for consumers and businesses. Rather than referring to pathways, it would be more accurate to refer to an evolving energy-transition road map, with many…
Keystone XL is dead. Now comes the tough fight over compensation – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Keystone XL is dead. Everyone knows that. Nothing can force the Biden administration to reissue the construction permit. The fight is now over any compensation owed to owner TC Energy Corp. by the U.S. government.
Even though it was endorsed by the Canadian government and even though Alberta invested up to $1.5-billion in the venture, Keystone is a private-sector project. Claims for compensation will be up to the company to advance, either in U.S. courts or before a North American free-trade agreement panel. The company said it is considering its options.
In the meantime, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has demanded Canada apply “sanctions” in retaliation for the project’s cancellation. Saskatchewan counterpart Scott Moe…
The Federal Climate Plan Provides The Clarity That Canada’s Economy Needs – Globe And Mail Op-ed
The horse is out of the stable. Earlier this month, the federal government announced its plan for meeting Canada’s targets for greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement, the centrepiece of which is a carbon price of $170 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030. Ottawa also announced that it will explore using border carbon adjustments to address “carbon leakage,” and will forgo a Clean Fuel Standard for gaseous fuels.
To those who are suspicious of Ottawa, this plan may feel like a jab at Canada’s beleaguered petroleum industry. And to be sure, the painful adjustments involved should not be downplayed. Based on today’s engineering, a $170-per-tonne carbon price would mean much higher costs for oil sands…
Van De Biezenbos, Coleman – Yes He Can: Joe Biden’s Power To Stop Pipelines
From: Kristen van de Biezenbos and James W. Coleman To: Keystone XL Observers Date: December 8, 2020 Re: Yes He Can: Joe Biden’s Power to Stop Pipelines On January 20, 2021, the United States will inaugurate Joe Biden as its 46th President and energy investors and policymakers will be closely watching his first actions in office – particularly his […] Glen Hodgson – How Much Investment Is Required To Reduce Ghg Emissions Without Sacrificing Growth?
From: Glen Hodgson To: Canadians concerned about green growth Date: November 27, 2020 Re: How Much Investment is Required to Reduce GHG Emissions Without Sacrificing Growth? In the extensive debate on the policies and innovation required to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions while achieving solid economic growth, discussion on the scale and distribution of investment needed has been absent, […] Bishop, Shaffer, Ragab – Other Options For Time-of-use Electricity Pricing In Ontario
From: Grant Bishop, Blake Shaffer and Mariam Ragab To: Greg Rickford, Ontario Minister of Energy Date: November 3, 2020 Re: Other options for time-of-use electricity pricing in Ontario Starting November 1, Ontario consumers gained the option to pay for electricity at a fixed price regardless of the time of day. Ontario’s government eliminated time-of-use pricing from June 1 to […] The Price of Power: Comparative Electricity Costs across Provinces
Power Consumers Face Widely Varied Costs Across Provinces Electricity prices and pricing structures vary widely across provinces, with Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia consumers facing the highest power costs. Authors Grant Bishop, Mariam Ragab and Blake Shaffer provide an interprovincial comparison of power prices across Canada, and explore how overall electricity costs matter for economically […] Grant Bishop – Supreme Court Should Recognize Ottawa’s Exclusive Ghg Jurisdiction But Find The Carbon Price Backstop Unconstitutional
From: Grant Bishop To: Supreme Court of Canada Date: September 28, 2020 Re: Supreme Court should recognize Ottawa’s exclusive GHG jurisdiction but find the carbon price backstop unconstitutional Against the backdrop of intensifying climate change, the Supreme Court last week began hearing arguments on the constitutionality of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act – the federal carbon-pricing backstop. Its […]