New gas plants should pay carbon levy on all emissions by 2030, advocates say
OTTAWA — Climate-change advocates and renewable-fuel producers want Ottawa to make sure new natural-gas power plants have to pay a price for every ounce of their greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030.
Canada is finalizing the regulations for its carbon-pricing system for big industrial emitters. The rules will apply to any facility that produces at least 50,000 tonnes of emissions a year, including electricity generated by fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and diesel. Ottawa is weighing the need to reduce Canada’s emissions against a desire not to hurt consumers by forcing electricity companies to raise rates too quickly.
The Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity — whose members include producers of wind, solar, hydro and tidal power — and some environment groups want Ottawa to make the system strong enough to discourage new fossil-fuel electricity plants.
“The idea is to send a signal that even for existing generation, the closer you get to 2030 the more emissions should be exposed to the carbon price,” said Jean-Francois Nolet, vice-president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.