Summer spent connecting with the city and province
By Lethbridge Herald on September 9, 2023.
AT THE LEGISLATURE
Nathan Neudorf – UCP MLA for Lethbridge East
It’s hard to believe it has been three months since the election, but since then our government has hit the ground running to make life more affordable in Lethbridge and Alberta.
One of the big highlights has been Lethbridge’s salute to the west – Whoop-Up Days. It was an honour to ride in the annual parade with Premier Danielle Smith and participate in many events over the five days of festival and rodeo.
The week is all about connecting with my constituents and promoting what makes this community unique.
This included a tour of the Fresh Start Recovery Centre, Nord-Bridge’s pancake breakfast, speaking to students at the University of Lethbridge about leadership and my objectives as Minister of Affordability and Utilities, and taking part in the grand entry at the Lethbridge and District Exhibition Pow Wow.
Each event was another reminder of why I love this city and how privileged I am to represent it.
I carried that homegrown inspiration with me to Quebec City this past week where I sat down with representatives from across Canada at the annual Energy and Mines Ministers’ conference. I travelled with Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean, where we spent four days discussing the future of energy and the economy and how they can work together amidst growing pressures of climate activists and the federal government.
There were several sessions on topics like renewable energy, Indigenous relations, and workforce retention and recruitment. These issues are all important to the future of energy here in Alberta.
While in Quebec, we got the opportunity to board America’s first hydrogen passenger train. Alberta has been at the forefront of harnessing hydrogen technology which will help keep the province an economic engine well into the future. This was underscored by a $45 million investment by the provincial government on Aug. 2 to reduce emissions, create jobs and help bring more hydrogen-powered technologies online.
In mid-August I got to see more Alberta creativity at work. I had the opportunity to tour the Genesee Power Plant near Warburg as they edge closer to completing their transition from coal to natural gas in early 2024. Capital Power is also in the process of constructing their Carbon Capture and Storage project which, when complete in 2026, will capture three million tonnes of CO2 annually.
The project is an example of the type of technology that will be at the foundation of creating a reliable and affordable electricity supply as we shoot for carbon neutrality by 2050.
It’s not just energy where we are seeing advancements. Alberta continues to be an agri-business leader, as was evident in my visit to Big Marble Farms Greenhouse in Medicine Hat with MLA Justin Wright on July 22.
This was underscored during my trip to the Calgary Stampede in early July where I met with business leaders and organizations from across sectors, including at the Premier’s annual pancake breakfast.
This is all just scratching the surface of the many amazing opportunities and interactions I have had over the summer.
At the root of all of it is a goal to make life more affordable for you. My work has just begun.
16-15
So glad you are so very busy . Perhaps a mention of the Renewable Moratorium imposed by yourself at Smith’s bidding. You know , the dictate roundly condemned by pretty well all analysts here and abroad.
gosh, you guys are so awesome – keep patting yourselves on your backs. things are getting better, as we finally get to see how much dirt there is in the saint mary;s reservoir.
Maybe the UCP can end their moratotium on rain?
lol
Making life more affordable? Our insurance and utility rates? Remember how the UCP scrapped caps on insurance rates and the price cap on regulated electricity rates? Increase in property taxes since UCP cuts to municipal funding? What of the cost to the public of the UCP backtracking of privatized lab services?
Maybe mention could be made of a UCP massive increase in public funding for the war room? Ongoing UCP bungling making life more affordable? No.
still loving our “deregulated” utilities. great example of oligopoly. 40 bucks of electric results in over a 100 dollars with the sundry fees; ditto natural gas. but blind “cons” are ok with the sleeze, so long as the dirty thieves call themselves “cons.”