David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 49 others
Methinks the Circus begins again with Kenney being the first clown to seize the spotlight N'esy Pas?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ottawa-accepts-alberta-tier-plan-carbon-pricing-1.5386955
Ottawa accepts Alberta's new $30-per-tonne carbon plan for large emitters in 2020
'Made-in-Alberta' plan will apply to industry; federal carbon tax — and rebates — will apply to consumers
· CBC News · Posted: Dec 06, 2019 10:48 AM MT
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's federal government has accepted a carbon-pricing plan for large-emitting industries developed by the government of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press, Kyle Bakx/CBC, Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press)
The federal government will accept the
Alberta government's latest plan to tax the greenhouse gas emissions of
large industrial facilities at a rate of $30 per tonne in 2020.
Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Friday his department agrees that Alberta's system will meet federal requirements for large emitters like oilsands operations, natural gas producers, chemical manufacturers and fertilizer plants.
All told, the province estimates these types of heavy-emitting facilities account for 55 to 60 per cent of Alberta's greenhouse gas emissions.
This system runs in parallel to the federal fuel charge — commonly known as the carbon tax — that applies to individual consumers and smaller-emitting companies.
Alberta already has a carbon-pricing system that charges large emitters at a rate of $30 per tonne. It was brought in by the previous NDP government. The new United Conservative Party government plans to modify that system, however, starting on Jan. 1.
While the carbon price will remain at $30 per tonne, that price only effectively applies to emissions above a target level.
The new plan, known as the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) regulation, will make it easier for some of the most carbon-intensive facilities to hit their emissions targets, thereby avoiding the tax and potentially earning credits for coming in below target.
That's because the current targets are set at an industry-wide level — meaning all oilsands facilities, for example, are held to the same emissions standard — while TIER will create individual targets for each facility based on its emissions levels from the recent past.
The province estimates that switching to the new system will save industry more than $330 million in avoided compliance costs in 2020.
The change in targets will apply to all industrial categories except electricity generation.
Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon said Friday he was pleased by Ottawa's decision to accept the "made-in-Alberta" carbon-pricing system.
"When we engaged with industry on TIER in summer 2019, we heard loud and clear that they want to be regulated by the province, not by Ottawa," Nixon said in a release.
Under its previous NDP goverment, Alberta had a consumer-level carbon tax that met federal requirements, but Kenney's UCP government killed that carbon tax as one of its first acts after being elected in April.
The federal "backstop" on carbon pricing, however, means Ottawa's carbon tax will apply to the purchase of fuels like gasoline, natural gas and propane in Alberta as of Jan 1.
Albertans will also start receiving carbon-tax rebates in the new year, which the federal government says will offset the increased cost for most households in the province.
Those rebates will be calculated as follows:
Economists say this helps alleviate the burden of the tax while also maintaining the incentive to consume less fossil fuel, since the less you burn, the less you pay.
That will also be applied at a rate of $30 per tonne in 2020, which works out to 6.63 cents per litre of gasoline.
Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Friday his department agrees that Alberta's system will meet federal requirements for large emitters like oilsands operations, natural gas producers, chemical manufacturers and fertilizer plants.
All told, the province estimates these types of heavy-emitting facilities account for 55 to 60 per cent of Alberta's greenhouse gas emissions.
This system runs in parallel to the federal fuel charge — commonly known as the carbon tax — that applies to individual consumers and smaller-emitting companies.
Alberta already has a carbon-pricing system that charges large emitters at a rate of $30 per tonne. It was brought in by the previous NDP government. The new United Conservative Party government plans to modify that system, however, starting on Jan. 1.
While the carbon price will remain at $30 per tonne, that price only effectively applies to emissions above a target level.
Change in emissions targets
The new plan, known as the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) regulation, will make it easier for some of the most carbon-intensive facilities to hit their emissions targets, thereby avoiding the tax and potentially earning credits for coming in below target.
That's because the current targets are set at an industry-wide level — meaning all oilsands facilities, for example, are held to the same emissions standard — while TIER will create individual targets for each facility based on its emissions levels from the recent past.
The province estimates that switching to the new system will save industry more than $330 million in avoided compliance costs in 2020.
The change in targets will apply to all industrial categories except electricity generation.
Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon said Friday he was pleased by Ottawa's decision to accept the "made-in-Alberta" carbon-pricing system.
"When we engaged with industry on TIER in summer 2019, we heard loud and clear that they want to be regulated by the province, not by Ottawa," Nixon said in a release.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) issued a statement that also praised the "made-in-Alberta" plan.
"This
program has the components to ensure both Alberta's large and small oil
and natural gas operations remain competitive, while clearly satisfying
the requirements set by the federal government," said Terry Abel,
CAPP's executive vice-president of operations and climate.
Alberta will 'oppose' $40 price in 2021
Current federal rules will require the price on carbon to rise to $40 per tonne in 2021 and $50 per tonne in 2022.
Premier Jason Kenney said Friday his government would "oppose that measure" but won't necessarily flout it.
"We'll
have to make a prudent judgment when we get closer to that date,"
Kenney told reporters.
"Because one thing we don't want is the federal
government bigfooting into Alberta and enforcing their own, separate
regulatory regime."
The federal government plans to impose its carbon tax on the consumer-level sale of fossil fuels starting in 2020.
Carbon tax — and rebates — coming Jan. 1
Under its previous NDP goverment, Alberta had a consumer-level carbon tax that met federal requirements, but Kenney's UCP government killed that carbon tax as one of its first acts after being elected in April.
The federal "backstop" on carbon pricing, however, means Ottawa's carbon tax will apply to the purchase of fuels like gasoline, natural gas and propane in Alberta as of Jan 1.
Albertans will also start receiving carbon-tax rebates in the new year, which the federal government says will offset the increased cost for most households in the province.
Those rebates will be calculated as follows:
- $444 for a single adult or the first adult in a couple.
- $222 for the second adult in a couple. Single parents will receive this amount for their first child.
- $111 for each child in the family (starting with the second child for single parents).
Economists say this helps alleviate the burden of the tax while also maintaining the incentive to consume less fossil fuel, since the less you burn, the less you pay.
That will also be applied at a rate of $30 per tonne in 2020, which works out to 6.63 cents per litre of gasoline.
About the Author
With files from the The Canadian Press
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices1657 Comments
Malcolm Scott
"Alberta already has a carbon-pricing system that charges large emitters at a rate of $30 per tonne. It was brought in by the previous NDP government."
News Flash: Ottawa accepts NDP plan.....
David Amos
Reply to @Malcolm
Scott: YUP Methinks the Circus begins again with Kenney being the first
clown to seize the spotlight N'esy Pas?
Christian Lopez
First, Kenney scrapped the NDP's carbon tax, and railed against the Fed consumer carbon tax; then he planned to implement a carbon tax of his own on energy producers in 2020. Now he's agreed to the Fed's consumer carbon tax which he vehemently opposed along with Scheer, Moe and Ford. Does any of this make sense? The Cons just don't seem to know what they're doing. In Scheer's first appearance in the new parliament, he was screaming that the Fed carbon tax must be scrapped, while at the same time his best buddy Kenney was accepting the Fed tax for AB. Was Scheer left out of the loop on this?
David Amos
Reply to @Christian Lopez: Methinks Scheer should have known enough not to trust any of his old buddies by now N'esy Pas?
Adrian Williams
Taxing natural gas, the cleanest fuel of all and the reason we can live in these very cold climates is plain stupid
David Amos
Reply to @Adrian Williams: I concur
Tyler J
We should applying triple the carbon tax on imports.
David Amos
Reply to @Tyler J: YUP
David Sampson
Good, now Alberta can stop campaigning on behalf of Scheer, the election is over, Scheer lost. Time for Alberta to get it’s ducks in a row.
David Amos
Reply to @David Sampson: Dream on
Tara Sundberg
Most of the people complaining will be getting back more than they spend. It's astonishing how ill informed people insist on being.
Meanwhile those of us who care about the future are making small and big changes to ensure a safe environment for our children. You're welcome.
David Amos
Reply to @Tara Sundberg: Methinks you should back away from the red kool aid table for a while N'esy Pas?
Sydney Mines
Congrats to former Premier Notley.
Your thoughts Premier Kenny.
David Amos
Reply to @Sydney Mines: Good luck getting an answer
Glen Robert
While we are paying a carbon tax companies can import goods from heavy emitting countries and they are assessed no carbon tax
David Amos
Reply to @Glen robert: Oh So True
David Smythe
There you go Alberta. You now have a Jason Kenney Carbon tax + the wasted money fighting it in the courts.
David Amos
Reply to @David Smythe: Methinks Jason Kenney just made a major faux pas N'esy Pas?
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