At a Glance: April 18 - 29
Power and Natural Gas Rebates Could be Coming to Albertans
Albertans who have been feeling the pain of soaring electricity and natural gas prices may soon find some relief. Associate Minister Dale Nally tabled legislation this week that would allow the government to add rebates onto utility bills. The program is expected to cost the province $280 million and will provide roughly 1.9 million households, farms, and small businesses with rebates.
The province has committed to offer rebates on heating bills next fall if natural gas prices rise above $6.50 per gigajoule. The change would provide Albertans with a $50 rebate on electricity and natural gas. NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley says that the government is not acting fast enough to provide Albertans with relief and that this rebate is too little too late.
Funding Announced to Improve Access to Inclusive Childcare
Both federal and provincial funding has been dedicated towards improving training and support for special needs childcare. The provincial government is spending $3.6 million to ensure parents of special needs children have access to quality childcare in Alberta. The money announced is part of a combined federal and provincial effort to bring accessibility and affordability to Alberta families. The total investment in the province is $7 million.
Assistant supervisor at Calgary’s Little Worlds Learning Centre, Jessica Molina says that the money will “ensure quality care is within reach for families across the province, allowing parents to get back to work while knowing their child is receiving the best care possible.” In the Alberta budget, the UCP allocated $35.6 million to help children with special needs to participate in licensed childcare programs.
Albertans may Soon be Able to Sell Excess Power to the Grid
A new bill introduced to the legislature this week would allow companies to generate and store their own electricity and even sell excess power back to the power grid. The practice known as “self-supply with export” will be legal under Bill 22, Electricity Statutes (Modernizing Alberta’s Electricity Grid) Amendment Act. Associate Minister for Natural Gas and Electricity Dale Nally said that allowing unlimited self-supply will increase competition and supply in the electricity market as well as providing a way to store electricity generated through renewable sources like wind and solar.
He added “more generators contributing to the supply will also help keep prices more stable and affordable in the future.” If passed, Bill 22 will also dissolve the Balancing Pool, an organization charged with managing power purchase agreements under Alberta’s privatized energy market. Nally said the government expects to wind down the Balancing Pool by 2030.
Infighting Continues Within the UCP
Recent UCP bickering has resulted in a clown image being posted on twitter to mock UCP backbenchers who have come out opposed to leader Jason Kenney. On Friday morning, Kenney’s interim issues manager and usual chief of staff to the infrastructure minister Bryan Rogers posted an old Simpson’s video depicting clowns dancing around and used it to call backbenchers “clowns”.
Multiple MLAs fired back on twitter including MLA Angela Pitt calling the post “exactly the kind of bullying and intimidation that happens every day from the Premiers staff. MLAs provide dissenting opinions and they are ridiculed like clowns or called insane”. MLA Leela Aheer also responded to the post criticizing the corruption within the UCP, tweeting “the corruption comes from those in leadership roles who believe that they are the smartest people in the room. Time to find a different room. Our party and our vision has an opportunity to revitalize and renew through a leadership race.” 60,000 party members are eligible to vote in the leadership review and the results are scheduled to be released on or about May 18.
COVID-19 Update
Hospitals in Alberta are under pressure as hospitalizations due to COVID-19’s sixth wave continue to grow. This week, 1,220 Albertans are in the hospital with COVID-19 and 47 patients are in the intensive care unit. Health Minister Jason Copping announced that COVID-19 transmissions are trending downward in many Albertan communities and major cities are seeing a much slower increase in infection rates. The province is working to expand capacity in hospitals as well as working with doctors to improve access to treatments like Paxlovid by allowing family doctors to prescribe it to patients.
Total deaths attributed to COVID-19 has risen to 4,252. The average positivity rate in the province has fallen to 25.7%. 86.8% of Albertans over the age of 12 have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. 43.8% of Albertans over the age of 12 have received three doses of the vaccine. Nearly all public health measures have been lifted with no intention by the government to re-implement any restrictions.