Unconventional Panel says 'no' to Alberta subsidies for electric cars
Emissions problem requires a larger solution, panel agrees
One of the panel came to the studio by bike. The second has already placed a down payment on a new Tesla Model 3.
So you'd think that at least two-thirds of the Calgary Eyeopener's Unconventional Panel would be in favour of subsidies for electric cars in the province.
But this week, the Unconventionals found themselves in rare agreement that the province should not follow Ontario, B.C. and Quebec by offering subsidies to electric car owners.
- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Enmax wants to boost capacity at Calgary power plant
- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Bobsled track accident survivor 'smashed every bone' in his face
"The only reason to [provide a subsidy] is to reduce emissions," said Jeff Kubik, a local writer and comedian, as well as a cyclist. But despite Alberta's plan to phase out coal, simply exchanging the use of gas for the use of the province's electricity grid won't actually reduce emissions, he said. Therefore a subsidy makes no sense, Kubik added.
"When it comes to government decisions to reduce emissions, what we're actually looking are things like transit, and walkability and the cycle tracks, which are going to be changes that are incredibly uncomfortable," he said.
Plug-in subsidy
B.C. offers a $6,000 rebate for electric car buyers, while the incentive in Ontario is up to $14,000.
Anila Lee Yuen, the CEO of the Centre for Newcomers and a soon-to-be Tesla owner, said she wouldn't want a subsidy either.
"It wasn't an incentive for me to buy the car to begin with," said Yuen, a self-professed "geek" with an admiration for Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Where she would like to see a subsidy would be in the garage, Yuen said.
"Is it is going to cost us to outfit our garage to be able to have the port specifically to be able to have the electricity for the car," she explained, adding that a subsidy to retrofit a garage could make it easier for people to own greener ways of travel.
Bigger strategy needed
Local businessman George Brookman said the electric car is just a piece of the bigger puzzle in Alberta's energy sector.
"I don't think the government should be giving incentives to buy cars," Brookman said.
"I think the government should be creating a comprehensive energy strategy for this province that includes hydrocarbons, electric, solar energy and all of that, and through that, develop a program that would allow us to then, perhaps, help people buy electric cars."
Yuen agreed that it's essential to look beyond the electric car when it comes to reducing emissions.
"We do need to look at more water and more wind power and more solar power in terms of being the electricity generator of choice," she said.
"That's what I would like to see as an electric car owner is that in the future that were looking at diversifying where we're getting our energy from."
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener