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Commentary

Questioning Solar Power Purchase Logic

2
minute read

The Medicine Hat mayor and council squabble has resulted in peak bad judgment as evidenced by a knee jerk reaction to once again invest millions of tax payer dollars and thousands of paid staff hours into a tax subsidized, financially uncertain solar farm.

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Questioning Solar Power Purchase Logic
August 29, 2024

The Medicine Hat mayor and council squabble has resulted in peak bad judgment as evidenced by a knee jerk reaction to once again invest millions of tax payer dollars and thousands of paid staff hours into a tax subsidized, financially uncertain solar farm. Not only does city ownership remove any property tax support that a private owner would have provided, but it also ties future taxpayer hands by removing our option to purchase more flexible Power Purchase Agreements on the open market.

More significant, when this project requires more capital and valuable employee time to cover its construction, operation and overruns it will misdirect Medicine Hat’s and council’s priorities and resources away from serving all Medicine Hat families and businesses by not focusing on providing affordable, efficient, and effective city services.

This is evidenced by the fact Medicine Hat city council refuses to help Hatters by eliminating the temporary Municipal Consent Access Fee. At a time our families, businesses and economic core are struggling with a slow economy, affordability and only 15 housing starts year to date—city council can’t make a decision on saving your neighbour $150 a year by eliminating the MCAF until a 3rd party energy review is complete, studied and gathers dust. BUT city council can invest millions in a project of significant size but uncertain benefit. Knee jerk and the wrong priorities!

I also ask MP Glen Motz and Official Opposition leader Poilievre to immediately provide some clarity that a year from now their Zero carbon tax changes would indeed make this type of purchase truly redundant.

I ask our mayor and council to back away from this large uncertain commitment, eliminate the MCAF for all Medicine Hatters (I remind you Redcliff and Cypress County do not charge their citizens this tax), concentrate on spending less so you can tax less and start to work together for the benefit of all Medicine Hatters. 

Drew Barnes

Article ID:
66d0b08149d457bc241bded9
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