It’s clear the UCP doesn’t have the best interests of Albertans at heart
By Lethbridge Herald on April 25, 2025.
Editor,
In Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf’s April 15 Herald column, he tries to blame a decade-old NDP government for the rising transmission costs on your power bill. If this sounds absurd, let me assure you: it is.
Mr. Neudorf claims that the need for new transmission lines was caused by the NDP’s “coal phase-out and renewable projects.” In truth, the coal plants were mostly (other than the oldest units that were slated for retirement anyway) converted to more efficient natural gas power plants, using the same existing lines. And the NDP’s renewable energy program required all successful power projects to connect to existing transmission capacity on the grid, so none of these caused a single new line to be built.
The truth about the UCP’s record on electricity diverges wildly from Mr. Neudorf’s talking points.
Mr. Neudorf and the UCP have been in power for six years now, during which they have allowed dozens of new power plants to build anywhere in Alberta on the promise that the power lines would be built for them on the ratepayers’ dime. Now they’re pulling the rug out from those investors by refusing to build those promised lines — with the result that power consumers could be on the hook to pay for the lost market access that those good-faith investors will endure.
If you think this government can just ignore the claims of those investors who have put billions of dollars into new energy operations in Alberta, I’ve got news for you. Mr. Neudorf’s main excuse for allowing Northback to build the Grassy Mountain mine (threatening our drinking water and farms) is that the UCP had told them to come build their mine. So, according to Mr. Neudorf, Northback could now sue the government if they refuse to give Northback the right to take down one of our mountains.
No, the UCP is clearly not acting in our interest, neither on coal mining nor on electricity policy. Case in point: if you’re stuck on the UCP’s new “rate of last resort” power option, you’re now paying more than double what you would be if the UCP had left the previous RRO alone.
It seems like the UCP don’t know what they’re doing. But maybe they know all too well what they’re doing, and we’re the rubes paying for it. Let’s stop being their rubes. Given the ongoing CorruptCare scandal and the UCP’s refusal to allow a public inquiry into their secret sweetheart health care privatization deals, it’s pretty clear that common sense ethics are in short supply, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Bill Harker
Lethbridge
11-10
the letter is beyond refute. the ucp steps up, big time, for big corp and select party insiders. the ucp consistently undermines the likes of sustainability and a healthy environment that should be passed on to those we love; they forsake a compassion based outlook and approaches – that are the hallmark of being a canadian – so as to ensure maximum gain for rogue mining actors; they consistently undermine public health so as pass a good buck along to private entities, ever at our collective expense and loss; and, of course, they have left property holders/farmers, municipalities alone to seek payments not made by the bad mining actors; and, they have allowed those bad mining actors to scoot away into the oily sunset free from having to clean up their messes, which leaves us all on the hook for the clean up and environmental fall out costs, which will come in at many hundreds of billions of dollars.
those bad ndp, right?
Agreed! And not to forget….”the UCP government removed the price cap on electricity in 2019 and the current government is now trying to lower electricity prices three years too late.”
There is also the matter of the province (AB Conservative government) deregulated electricity generation in 2001, forcing Albertans to pay $billions more for their power. Alberta? The province of advantage? Not so much….
And, the UCP bumbles on…..will Alberta folks keep voting for this, obvious, ineptness? Do not be fooled or be hoodwinked by these UCP clowns.
Same old same old NDP rhetoric! Take your blinders off, check the facts, see that the UCP is leading and fighting for Alberta at every vantage point. You and your brood of NDP proponents should heed by the vintage term “ lead, follow or get the H…. Out of the way”
Mr. Neudorf is doing a stellar job in Lethbridge East, has anyone heard or seen the fellow from Lethbridge West?