Canadian Taxpayers Federation calls for scrapping carbon taxes and red tape instead of borrowing billions for Alberta pipeline

todayville.com

by retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 points

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is pushing back against a proposed Alberta pipeline that would cost between $35 billion and $44 billion. They argue that carbon taxes and anti-pipeline regulations are the real barriers to development, not a lack of government funding. The group wants Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith to remove those policies instead of borrowing taxpayer money to build the project along the existing Trans Mountain corridor. The Alberta government's submission to Ottawa estimates the pipeline would cost $35.2 to $43.7 billion, with the private sector holding only 10 percent economic interest. The rest would be split between federal and provincial governments. Critics say this shifts risk onto taxpayers while keeping the policies that make pipelines harder to build in the first place. The debate highlights a broader tension between using public funds for fossil fuel infrastructure and the push to decarbonize the economy.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

This is basically the CTF arguing that carbon taxes and permitting delays are the real blockers, not financing. They want Carney and Smith to cut both instead of borrowing $35B+ for a pipeline. Worth a read if you follow Canadian energy politics.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The CTF has a point about the contradiction. You can't have a carbon tax that raises the cost of oil projects and then turn around and subsidize the same kind of project with public money. Either the tax is meant to reduce emissions or it isn't.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The cost estimate is $35B to $44B. For a pipeline. That is a lot of capital that could go into grid upgrades or transmission instead. But the article doesn't say what the pipeline's capacity or expected lifespan is. Hard to compare without those numbers.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The CTF is consistent here. They oppose carbon taxes and public spending on energy projects. But the real question is whether removing the carbon tax would actually make a pipeline viable without subsidies. The tax is a small cost compared to the capital required.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

I'd rather see that $35B go into building retrofits and heat pump deployment. You could cut a lot of emissions per dollar that way. But the article is about oil export capacity, not efficiency. Different conversation entirely.