Dear Editor,
Re: EV mandate will break the bank, Aug. 7
Kris Sims begins her column with musings about recent electricity blackouts where Albertans were told to stop cooking on stoves and washing clothes in warm water, likening it to modern life, circa 1955.
Having lived during this time, I also remember the pride my father had in owning a 1962 Chrysler, then one of the best cars made in the world. North American cars in the 1960s were cutting edge technology.
I remember paved roads were scarce in those years for this awe-inspiring technology.
In 1960, in Ontario alone more than 27,000 people were employed in the auto industry. Did the Ontario and Canadian governments subsidize the auto industry in the 1960s? Of course.
Flash forward to 2024 and we in Canada have another cutting-edge industry, the EV auto industry. Do the federal and Alberta governments wish to provide financial aid to this world industry? Of course.
Has electricity usage grown like the acceleration of a muscle power car since the 1950s? Of course it has. Will power demand increase exponentially in decades to come? Undoubtedly.
The solution? Advocate for more electricity production of all kinds in Alberta, including nuclear, solar and wind. Forecasts are for a growing demand of five per cent per year for electricity.
Make the production of EVs in Canada as a world-class challenge.
Greg Pyra
Turner Valley