Home » Energy » An east-west power grid, Canada’s elusive national dream

Olduvai
Click on image to purchase

Olduvai III: Catacylsm
Click on image to purchase

Post categories

Post Archives by Category

An east-west power grid, Canada’s elusive national dream

An east-west power grid, Canada’s elusive national dream

Inter-provincial strategy would help environment, but political will could be lacking

The price tag for transmission lines can be hefty. The longer the distance, the bigger the sticker shock.

The price tag for transmission lines can be hefty. The longer the distance, the bigger the sticker shock. (Jacques Boissinot/Canadian Press)

Constructing an east-west electricity grid in Canada is far from a novel idea. Politicians and other leaders have openly mused about the idea throughout the last decade.

Sharing power between provinces is once again on the discussion table, as B.C. Premier Christy Clark pushes the federal government to consider a national grid. The idea is being pitched as a way to combat climate change and to help Canada achieve its latest environmental goals, which are currently under development.

At first blush, an east-west power grid seems like a no-brainer. While some provinces are blessed with an abundance of hydroelectricity, others are still burning coal to keep the lights shining, cellphones charging and coffee makers gurgling.

The east-west grid is again a discussion point in the country, largely as a solution to combat climate change and as a way to help Canada achieve its latest environmental goals, which are currently under development.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark is pushing the federal government to consider a national grid. She will host a meeting with environmental ministers from across the country in early March to figure out how Canada can reach the commitments it made at the UN climate conference in Paris.

BC LNG 20151014

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is asking the federal government to help build new electrical infrastructure that would allow B.C. to sell hydro to Alberta. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Clark is asking for help from the federal government to build new electrical infrastructure that would allow B.C. to sell hydro to Alberta, which is in the midst of a massive shift away from coal-fired energy.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

Olduvai IV: Courage
Click on image to read excerpts

Olduvai II: Exodus
Click on image to purchase

Click on image to purchase @ FriesenPress