Alberta carbon tax officially in effect

Carbon Tax comes into effect The carbon tax came into effect January 1 – a government effort to curb emissions by making gas and heat more expensive for Albertans.

In an attempt to curb emissions, gas and heat will be more expensive starting Sunday with the implementation of the carbon tax.

Albertans are showing mixed reactions to the financial incentive, with most gas stations in Edmonton going from around 106.4 per litre to 111.6 overnight.

“It only goes up,” a local man told CTV Edmonton while filling up his tank. “But it is what it is – you gotta keep driving.”

Another man thinks the province isn’t doing enough to prevent climate change. “I think climate change is a real problem and we’re not doing enough to address it, but this is a start.”

Oil and gas strategist Kris Palka studied the British Columbia carbon tax with local ecological strategist Mark Anielski.

“B.C. is taxing 66 per cent of the carbon emissions,” Palka said. “In Alberta with our carbon levy we are barely taxing 25 per cent of our emissions.”

According to Palka, consumption of fuel went down by 17 per cent in British Columbia after the carbon tax was implemented.

“What we are doing is actually much less intense than what B.C. did, and you see these relatively very good results,” he added.

The NDP government estimates that the carbon tax will increase the cost of heating by about $350 per year for the average household.

Low and middle income families will be eligible for rebates – and revenue from the tax will help re-shape the economy.

“I will be paying 4.5 cents more, but we will also be getting pipelines built and vesting that revenue into diversifying the economy through things like the energy retrofit program and green retro programs,” Deputy premier Sarah Hoffman said.

Full details on the Energy Efficiency Alberta programs won’t be released until March.

With files from Angela Jung