Alberta Premier Ralph Klein believes Ontario's plans to
eliminate its coal-fired power plants are "short sighted," and
says affordable, clean coal-burning technologies are inevitable.
"I think that coal can be developed to ultra-critical
standards where virtually no emissions are expelled," Klein said
yesterday following a speech to the Coal Association of Canada's
annual meeting in Calgary.
"And that we can use this tremendous resource ... to provide
power for the oilsands and other industrial needs and domestic
needs and still provide very clean-burning coal operations."
Ontario and Alberta are heading in opposite directions over
their views of coal as a viable fuel source in the future.
Alberta, which holds massive coal reserves, has recently
stepped up the sales pitch that coal should be at the forefront
of future energy strategies and it can be used in a clean and
environmental manner.
Meanwhile, Ontario's Liberal government is struggling with an
election promise that it would close all of its older, polluting
coal-fired plants in order to improve air quality in the heavily
populated and industrialized south.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's government has already had
to push back its target date to close all remaining coal-fired
plants by two years to 2009.