At 10:57 p.m. on Sunday, June 16, Alberta’s last coal plant went offline. An
official announcement shortly followed, quietly signaling the end of coal-fired
electricity in Alberta.
Many organizations contributed to this successful campaign through advocacy
and research. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment,
the Lung Association and the Asthma Society of Canada were instrumental in
highlighting the health impacts associated with air pollution from coal-fired
electricity. The Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based clean-energy think tank,
first intervened in a coal plant regulatory process in the late 1990s and, in
2009, published the first major proposal that showed the province could move
to an unabated coal-free grid by 2030. Our research was ahead of its time and
criticized as idealistic.
Coal accounted for 80 per cent of Alberta’s electricity grid in the early 2000s
and it still amounted to 60 per cent just 10 years ago. When phasing out coal
was just an idea being batted around, many said it couldn’t be done. This is
not dissimilar to the rhetoric today around decarbonizing the grid. But
Alberta’s experience phasing out coal shows environmental progress of this
magnitude is possible.
In 2012, then-prime minister Stephen Harper mandated a nationwide phase-
out of coal by 2061. A far-off target date that, nonetheless, provided certainty
to the provinces and got the ball rolling. In Alberta, the Wildrose Party, then
led by now United Conservative Party Premier Danielle Smith, included a coal
phase-out commitment in its 2012 election platform.
When the New Democratic Party came to power after the 2015 provincial
election, they got to work delivering on a plan to accelerate the elimination of
coal. This included strengthening Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing system, a
commitment to 30-per-cent renewables by 2030 and a target date for phasing
out coal by 2030 – a target built through consultation with experts and
industry. The current federal government made a similar national
commitment in 2016.
At the time, there were concerns about the impact this would have on jobs. We
learned that workers benefit from new investments in cleaner electricity – if
included in strategic planning from the start. Federal and provincial programs
to support workers during this transition were made available, while
community economic diversification and growth in jobs in other sectors have
helped to offset some of this change. Research also shows there are
opportunities in clean energy, such as from increased land revenues and
municipal taxes.
Phasing out coal in Alberta was supported by good policy design driven by
carbon pricing and regulations with clear targets that offered necessary
certainty to the industry and stakeholders. Rapidly growing, low-cost
renewable energy further supported the phase-out, along with companies
investing in gas-fired electricity. All these actions accelerated the transition
away from coal at a faster rate than anticipated.
So, for the first time in 150 years, coal is no longer part of Alberta’s electricity
mix. It is important to celebrate and reflect on these milestones, while
recognizing there is no time to rest before redoubling our efforts and looking
to what’s next.
As Pembina Institute’s latest research shows, many countries are striving to
be the first to decarbonize their electricity system and a decarbonized
electricity system by 2035 is within reach in Canada. It would save households
hundreds of dollars on their electricity bills, enhance the competitiveness of
our industries, and attract more investments into Canada as industries all look
to secure clean power. But, as with coal, powerful incumbents want to
maintain the status quo. Neither Albertans nor our climate can afford to be
locked in to burning greenhouse gas-emitting natural gas when we have
better, lower-cost alternatives.
Renewable energy is already the most cost-effective form of new electricity
generation, and costs continue to drop. However, we still need to bring more
wind and solar energy online, along with storage. Historically a leader in
renewable energy, Alberta’s seven-month renewables moratorium, new
restrictions unique to renewables, and a market restructuring have chilled
project development. Restoring certainty should be a priority for the
government. Alberta also already has enough existing and planned gas on its
grid to meet its electricity needs.
The future is abundant, affordable, zero-emissions electricity. But we also
need to invest in updating our infrastructure to meet our modern-day needs.
Alberta is behind on demand-side management measures – a tactic that has
reduced energy demand by 15 per cent in Ontario. Canada is also behind on
building interties between jurisdictions – an approach that supports resilient
systems and allows us to benefit from our complementary strengths across
the country in hydro and other renewables.
We urgently need to continue to reduce emissions and we have the tools to
achieve this. As the coal example shows, success takes time – sometimes over
the course of decades – and relentless fact-based advocacy.
Chris Severson-Baker is the executive director of the Pembina Institute.