World Energy Outlook 2015 IEA

[chuckChuck]

The International Energy Agency report makes for interesting reading when it comes to discussing energy policy.

For the Executive summary the link is http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEB_WorldEnergyOutlook2015ExecutiveSummaryEnglishF inal.pdf

"Fossil-fuel consumption continues to benefit from large subsidies:
we estimate this global subsidy bill at around $490 billion in 2014, although it would have been around $610 billion without reforms enacted since 2009. Subsidies to aid the deployment of renewable energy technologies in the power sector were $112 billion in
2014 (plus $23 billion for biofuels)."

[chuckChuck]

It is interesting to note that many farmers think that subsidies to Bio-Fuel should continue or even increase.

At 23 billion in effect they are subsidizing farmers indirectly by raising prices for commodities that are used for bio-fuels.

Many farmers wrongly seem to think they are not receiving subsidies but what would canola and corn prices look without bio-fuel subsidies?

It is also interesting to note the $490 Billion that is spent on fossil fuel subsidies. If the subsidies on fossil energy are eliminated what impact would this have on green energy adoption?

[ColevilleH2S]

Our taxpayer funded, Tides Foundation mouthpiece is all over it.

[URL=http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/terence-corcoran-the-cbcs-fossil-fuel-subsidies-folly]CBC's fossil fuel subsidy folly[/URL]

[Oliver88]

Good article Coleville.

Interesting how the CBC willingly will misrepresent facts to promote their narrative that oil is "subsidized".
When they include the cost of drilling used as an expense as a "subsidy" we can no longer take them seriously.

[Hamloc]

Chuck2, the Alberta government tells us switching to a low carbon economy will bring prosperity. If this was true wouldn't it have already occurred on its own? And if it is true why does it require government subsidy and government legislation to make it happen?

I will answer the questions for you, because it isn't true. Green tax levies simply inflate energy cost and create hardships for people on fixed incomes and those with the lowest incomes. It forces them to chose between food and heat. A good example is in Britian where a study beginning in 2011 found that a minimum of 2700 premature deaths have occurred yearly due to lack of heat in the homes of the elderly because they can't afford it. Got to love taxes.

[chuckChuck]

Just to clarify the estimate of subsidies to the oil industry and biofuels is from the International Energy Agency report.

What the numbers are in Canada is not provided in their summary.

Farmers are receiving some of the benefits of subsidies to biofuels.

[chuckChuck]

Just to clarify the estimate of subsidies to the oil industry and biofuels is from the International Energy Agency report.

What the numbers are in Canada is not provided in their summary.

Farmers are receiving some of the benefits of subsidies to biofuels.

[chuckChuck]

Several organizations provide evidence of subsidies to the fossil energy industry in Canada including the IMF and OECD.

The following is a link to a study done by the Pembina institute that has references.

https://www.pembina.org/reports/fossil-fuel-subsidies.pdf

[burnt]

What do you say when the clarinets and the flutes fail to turn up for the concert?



Never mind, the wind's always blowing somewhere.

[chuckChuck]

Hamloc, if increases in energy costs are a burden on the poor what would you do when energy costs rise because of market forces? Were you concerned then?

Housing costs were driven up all across Western Canada in large part because of the boom in energy and other commodities. Housing costs are a bigger problem for the poor.

Poverty can be reduced or eliminated by a strong diversified economy and good social programs. I don't find much support on Agriville for social programs in fact I find a lot of grumbling and blaming the poor for their own situation.

[Hamloc]

It is interesting how 2 people can read the same information and have a different take away. I am not going to guarantee my recollection of the number is perfect either. I found it interesting that over 1 billion people don't have access to reliable electricity and over 2 billion still use solid fuel to cook with, I assume this is wood or equivalent. From 2000 to today electricity from coal has increased from 23% to 29%. Renewables share has gone up as well sorry numbers didn't stick. As far as subsidies to oil no country was specified nor what was considered subsidies. It was an interesting read and it appeared to me that most countries were doing their best to provide new sources of energy while taking into account the environment.

As for your point that as example the spike in the price of natural gas around 07 or 08 can't remember for sure did create hardship and I believe the Alberta government brought in a rebate. As for the hardships created by runaway housing costs, in Alberta an influx of people from looking for work certainly has raised house prices no arguement. Vancouver and Toronto have higher prices by far created by low interest rates. Does this create hardship for the poor, absolutely, do we need a better housing strategy, of course we do. As for making negative statements against the poor I would say I don't believe I have been guilty of this. In fact when Trudeau brought in his supposed tax cut for the middle class I pointed out it did nothing for the 17 million Canadians earning less than 45000.

Strong economic growth is needed to create the necessary revenue to fund social programs, you don't create economic growth by taxing and regulating your most profitable industry out of existence. I would also argue you don't create a diversified economy by mandating the construction of wind turbines and solar panels to create power generation that only works half the time. And if you replaced all coal with natural gas you would increase the price of natural gas our primary heating fuel so you have the double whammy of the carbon tax and increased fuel costs. We have probably over 100 years of coal in the ground, why not shut down our old plants that are inefficient and replace them with the best coal technology until something more dependable than wind comes along. Got to go grain truck arrived lol.

[boarderbloke]

chucky, If we're going to have subsidies, I'd much sooner see 4 billion in subsidies paid for the exploration and development of crude, or biofuels in Canada, than simply cut a cheque to the U.N. for them to distribute to other counties around the world.

Our own taxpayer money going to Other Countries around the World !