energy

Most of the global population recognizes we are in an accelerating transition to sustainable societies and environments. But what will that look like?

Having recently returned from COP26 Tzeporah will reflect on whether the climate negotiations were a breakthrough or a disappointment and discuss how the emergence of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance of countries and the proposed Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty Initiative relate to the future of oil and gas in Alberta and Canada.

Alberta has 170,000 plus inactive and abandoned oil wells and over 3000 orphan wells that have been abandoned by failed companies.

Public participation is widely considered to be an essential component of any legitimate exercise of state power over resource development and environmental decision-making.

After Jason Kenney became Premier of Alberta on April 30, 2019, he followed through on his campaign promise and set in motion the “energy war room” or the Canadian Energy Centre CEC) as it was named when launched in Dec 2019.

With the November 3, 2020 US election resulting in Joe Biden being elected President and the Democrats gaining control of both houses of Congress, what are the likely implications for Alberta’s Energy Sector?

When you think of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, including the Oldman Watershed in Southern Alberta, you probably think of scenic mountaintops, rolling foothills and clear blue streams.

The deregulation of Alberta’s electricity system is now 19-years old, and in the last five years three successive Alberta governments have passed on an opportunity to mitigate the shortcomings of an Alberta “energy only market.

There are two stories from Alberta that illustrate the unintended consequences of utilities trying to beat the returns available from full regulation.

Getting Off the Electric Grid: Is the Sun All We Need? Solar Power Systems have been getting a lot more attention in the last few years.

Hailed as “a myth-destroying blockbuster book” by Ralph Nader, Gordon Laxer’s latest book, “After the Sands” outlines a vision and road map to transition Canada to a low- carbon society: a plan lacking within all of Canada’s major political parties.

The Alberta Provincial government under Rachael Notley is committed to tackling several issues related to energy. Corporate taxes have already been raised.

Learning to harness fusion in a controlled way – recreating the sun on earth, as a clean source of energy – is the holy grail of international energy programs.

Learning to harness fusion in a controlled way – recreating the sun on earth, as a clean source of energy – is the holy grail of international energy programs.

The federal government recently approved the pending sale of an Alberta utility provider to an American company. Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s application to buy AltaLink in a deal worth $3.

The greatest challenge to modern society comes from the twin problems of getting the energy needed to support life and the consequences of getting that energy.

Energy drives life. Energy use has been a great advantage to our species. However, we are moving toward a compelling predicament as our societies thrive and our population grows.

When it comes to energy, there seems to be a very large gap between scientific, economic and environmental facts, on the one hand and what the general public believes, on the other.

Medicine Hat’s Energy Sustainability Department is focused on providing its citizens with energy conservation and renewable energy education, incentives and leadership through a variety of “Hat Smart” initiatives.

Shrinking reserves of oil and gas, shifts in the geopolitical landscape, and mounting environmental concerns all test our ability to meet the growing demand for energy.

Does Bill 46 violate democratic principles? Bill 46, if passed into law, will establish a new Alberta Utilities Commission to oversee distribution and sale of electricity and natural gas, powers which formerly were held by the Energy Utilities Board.

Biogas, like solar and wind, has the potential to provide a significant sustainable energy source for southern Albertans. Livestock manure and organic resources from agriculture and food processing, plentiful in the Lethbridge region, can be used to produce biogas which is then used to generate electricity.