Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
a signiicant number of stakeholders, there tends to be public backlash, which
compels attempts to mitigate any ensuing negative externality. For example, at
the federal level, the government's opposition to the Kyoto Protocol has given
rise to public pressure to play a more constructive role in international climate
change mitigation eforts. As an example at the provincial level, Ontario's
feed-in tarif has signiicantly increased wind power installations but has also
engendered extensive NIMBY opposition to excessively invasive wind power
build-up. In short, the centrist tendency on the part of Canadian voters tends
to have a moderating inluence on public policy.
It is perhaps for this reason that the federal government appears to
be, at times, confused about the appropriate response to climate change
mitigation. Whenever the government adopts a position in strong sup-
port of a particular initiative—for example, support for CCS at the federal
level or support for nuclear power or wind power at the provincial level in
Ontario—there tends to be critical public backlash that forces the govern-
ment to moderate its position.
In addition to lackluster performance in supporting technological innova-
tion in the energy sector, the federal government has had very little impact
on renewable energy difusion. As mentioned earlier, the WPPI, which has
averaged less than C$0.01/ kWh, has had only a minor impact on wind
power development. To the contraire, the absence of a federal carbon tax
has provided coal-ired power plants with an artiicial competitive advan-
tage. In 2008, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion proposed the introduction of
a national carbon tax as part of his party's national electoral platform. his
proved to be unpopular with voters and played an inluential role in his par-
ty's disastrous electoral defeat.
In contrast to federal eforts, provincial renewable energy initiatives have
exhibited a modicum of success. he RFP programs put in place by the prov-
inces of Québec, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British Columbia have clearly
kick-started wind power development. Similarly, the Ontario government's
feed-in tarif that was launched in 2009 has had a major impact on wind
power development in the province.
In terms of carbon taxes, it is interesting to note that Alberta became the
irst state or province in North America to introduce a carbon tax in July
2007. Companies that emitted more than 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases
were mandated to reduce emissions by 12%. Failure to do so would result in
these entities having to either pay a penalty of C$15 per ton of CO
2
equivalent
emissions or purchase ofsets from another major emitter. his tax has posi-
tively inluenced the fortunes of wind power development in the province.
he separation of powers between federal and provincial governments has
also served to moderate federal involvement in the development of energy
