Coal report on Albertans' views to be delayed one month, says panel chairman
A report detailing how Albertans feel about open-pit coal mining in the Rockies will be delayed by a month, says the head of the committee preparing the document.
Ron Wallace said the report, the first of two his panel is expected to generate, will now be delivered to Energy Minister Sonya Savage by Nov. 15. That's the same due date as the second report, which is to contain recommendations on coal development.
“It was because of the overwhelming response and the need to accommodate that response with extra time that we had to approach the minister with the request for an extension,” Wallace said in an interview Tuesday.
The extension comes as American researchers conclude that North America now has so many steelmaking coal proposals in the works that some mines may not meet profit forecasts, raising the danger they might be closed early.
“They're promising lots of job creation,” said Ryan Driskell Tate of Global Energy Monitor, a U.S.-based research group. “There are lots of promises made early on that are not necessarily fulfilled.”
Wallace's five-member panel has been canvassing the province for what people think about how - or if - coal development should proceed. It was established as a result of a massive public outcry at changes that removed protections for large swaths of the Rocky Mountains and their foothills that resulted in a flood of coal exploration permits being issued on some of Alberta's most cherished landscapes.
The panel was expected to summarize what it heard this month in a report to the minister. But Wallace said it received too much high-quality information to pull anything together before mid-November.
With submissions still trickling in, Wallace said the panel has received 177 detailed papers from environmental groups, coal companies, municipalities and First Nations. It held 67 meetings and took in 1,028 emails.
Most, he said, were “strongly opposed” to the industry's expansion.
“I would characterize the report as a reflection of an enormous pent-up demand for the public to speak to government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tate said a spike in coal prices has led to 15 steelmaking coal projects across North America that have advanced beyond initial exploration, 11 of them in British Columbia and Alberta.
Tate said if all those projects are built, the amount of coal exported to China and other Asian countries would have to more than double.
“They don't have very obvious consumers,” he said. “Prices are one question. I'm not even entirely sure they have a stable market.”
Tate said the current price spike is due to a diplomatic spat between China, the world's biggest steelmaking coal consumer, and Australia, its biggest producer. If the differences are resolved and China starts buying Australian coal again, prices could drop, he said.
Climate policies are also expected to reduce steelmaking coal demand. The report notes the International Energy Agency says meeting Paris Agreement goals would probably cut demand in half by 2040.
The outlook for Albertans is risky, Tate said.
“Albertans will be dependent on the net-zero (carbon) targets of other countries.”
Worse, he said, is the risk of stranded assets - mines that have made their environmental impact but are shuttered by poor profitability before the promised economic benefits are realized.
“This is a volatile market that is undergoing a lot of changes,” said Tate.
Provided with a copy of Tate's report, Alberta Energy spokeswoman Jennifer Henshaw said no decisions on coal will be made until after Wallace's panel delivers its recommendations.
“The report will provide valuable insight and guidance as we determine the next steps to ensure modern coal policy is developed,” she said.
The Coal Association of Canada did not respond to a request for comment on the Global Energy Monitor study.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.