- Aug 30, 2014
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Since these key word along with 'climate change' seem to be popping up in various threads, here's a place to voice your thoughts on JT's zero emissions plan and the cost to tax payers to achieve only the electrical grid portion required without the use of hydrocarbons. Not denying the need but my feeling is taxpayers won't be able to absorb the cost, and government obviously is not prepared to either give the carbon taxes already in place. Here's a recent part article that just touches on the electricity portion of a net zero in 26 years from now.
Today, electricit y fulfills about 20 per cent of our energy needs. That means 80 per cent of the energy Canadians rely on is from direct use of natural gas , refined petroleum products and other fuels. What is being proposed in Canada’s electricity strategy is not just fewer or even no emissions from our electricity systems. It is to have electricity provide that other 80 per cent.
"This is a challenge for two reasons. First, some things — including many industrial processes — simply can’t be done by electricity. Second, the electricity needed to do the rest that could be possible does not exist today. And we are not even close to having it. Electricity is a technology that mobilizes electrons by using a fuel (moving water or wind, uranium, natural gas, coal, oil, sunshine). You need the fuel, you need to build generating capacity and you need new infrastructure to move the electricity to where it is needed.
Getting it all up and running in the next 26 years means Canadians should forget about saving money over the next two decades. We will be spending. Big time. Electricity Canada, the trade association of Canada’s electricity industry, estimates it will cost $50 to $60 billion per year to get the power we need. According to the Canadian Energy Regulator’s Net-Zero Scenario, electricity generation capacity would need to grow from about 152 GW today to 350 GW — or about 2.3 times — to reach net zero by 2050."
Your insight?
Today, electricit y fulfills about 20 per cent of our energy needs. That means 80 per cent of the energy Canadians rely on is from direct use of natural gas , refined petroleum products and other fuels. What is being proposed in Canada’s electricity strategy is not just fewer or even no emissions from our electricity systems. It is to have electricity provide that other 80 per cent.
"This is a challenge for two reasons. First, some things — including many industrial processes — simply can’t be done by electricity. Second, the electricity needed to do the rest that could be possible does not exist today. And we are not even close to having it. Electricity is a technology that mobilizes electrons by using a fuel (moving water or wind, uranium, natural gas, coal, oil, sunshine). You need the fuel, you need to build generating capacity and you need new infrastructure to move the electricity to where it is needed.
Getting it all up and running in the next 26 years means Canadians should forget about saving money over the next two decades. We will be spending. Big time. Electricity Canada, the trade association of Canada’s electricity industry, estimates it will cost $50 to $60 billion per year to get the power we need. According to the Canadian Energy Regulator’s Net-Zero Scenario, electricity generation capacity would need to grow from about 152 GW today to 350 GW — or about 2.3 times — to reach net zero by 2050."
Your insight?
