Choosing China over Quebec

Vincent J. Curtis

11 Aug 23

RE: New draft regulations aim for a clean electricity grid. CP story by Laura Osman.  The Hamilton Spectator 11 Aug 23.

Of course Minister of Climate Change Steven Guilbeault is in favor of a “clean” electricity grid.  Who’s in favor of a dirty one?  By clean, Guilbeault means one just like the Hydro-Quebec system, which derives most of its power from dams around James Bay.  But there’s a more sinister twist to Guilbeault’s declaration for motherhood.  And that is the declaration of war on Alberta and Saskatchewan implicit in it.

Alberta and Saskatchewan don’t have neither the water nor the topography to run hydro-dam based electrical grids.  They do have, however, enormous deposits of coal, oil, and natural gas; and Alberta’s grid is 90+ percent run off what used to be called “clean burning” natural gas.  Guilbeault is determined to end this, at Alberta’s expense.

After recent revelations, it should come as no surprise that Guilbeault is forcing Alberta to adopt the Chinese unreliables, wind and solar, to replace natural gas generation.  There is, however, a Canadian alternative, namely the CANDU SMR, a 300 MW descendent of the original 500 MW CANDU.  This is all-Canadian technology, and it’s reliable.  And it’s licensed to SNC-Lavalin, the famous Quebec-based engineering company.

Why is Guilbeault pushing the Chinese unreliables on Alberta, again?  Why is he choosing China over Quebec?

The confidence and determination of a fanatic ought to frighten people, not reassure them.

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