Clearly the main benefit is to the stakeholders (link to Benefits Analysis report).
What are the benefits to the public?
- Jobs
- Taxation and Royalties Revenue – the latter made up the bulk of the economic benefits the Province of Alberta enjoyed in the heyday of its Heritage Fund; this has virtually disappeared
- while Trans Mountain reported millions in profits, they received tax refunds from the Canadian government – no benefits to see here…
Renewable Energy
Is more evenly distributed – more smaller operations provide (1) more jobs, (2) more distributed profits, (3) energy security since energy sources are decentralized.
Fossil Fuels
In the National Interest?
Economic Benefits – implied to mean jobs and tax revenues. (1) Both are exaggerated, (2) they don’t include the real benefit that used to drive the oil economy in Alberta: royalties. Peter Lougheed famously said that Alberta needs to think like an owner. Economic Benefits – implied to mean jobs and tax revenues. (1) Both are exaggerated, (2) they don’t include the real benefit that used to drive the oil economy in Alberta: royalties. Peter Lougheed famously said that Alberta needs to think like an owner.