Coal Key to Canada's Fuel Future

Alberta Energy Minister Greg Melchin has a message for power-hungry Ontario: coal is the fuel of the future.

Melchin, who was scheduled to meet later Thursday with his anti-coal Ontario counterpart, Donna Cansfield, made his pitch during a luncheon speech at a downtown business club - one of many stops during his three-day visit to Toronto.

''There's another enormous opportunity for one of the best economical, environmentally clean fuels of the future - and that's coal,'' Melchin said.

''Coal is and can be at the forefront of a clean environmental solution.''

Alberta is keen to develop clean coal technology, Melchin said, and is already working with Texas on a zero-emission coal-fired plant scheduled to start generating electricity in the United States by 2012.

Advancing the technology would be a boon not only for coal-rich Alberta, but for the Canadian economy as a whole, he added. ''The opportunity is enormous.''

Melchin called for a co-ordinated national strategy that would establish Canada as a key world supplier of power. Ontario, which has been struggling of late to meet its own soaring demand for electricity, would be a key player, he noted.

''It's very vital for us in Alberta to see that Ontario is strong and surviving and providing and helping to bring solutions to the forefront.''

Problem is, Ontario's solution represents the polar opposite of Melchin's vision.

The province's Liberal government campaigned on a promise to close every coal-fired plant in the province - fingered as the principal source of Ontario's pollution woes - by 2007.

That target has since been pushed to 2009 amid fears the ambitious schedule would cause electricity shortages.

Even the government's own advisory panel has urged it to keep some coal-fired capacity available in case of urgent demand.

Cansfield, however, has long insisted Ontario will not waver, insisting that the emissions from Ontario's coal plants pose a serious health hazard.

Melchin refused to comment Thursday on Ontario's plan, but said he would use a scheduled dinner meeting with Cansfield to promote his province's vision for coal.

''We need to demonstrate how you can do this on an environmentally clean platform,'' said Melchin, whose energy-rich province has more coal than all of its oil and gas reserves combined.

''We'll have those discussions with Ontario,'' he said. ''That's part of what is our challenge: how do we help show and demonstrate and educate that there are opportunities here.''

Melchin said he's hopeful that the new Conservative government in Ottawa will be good for the province of Alberta.

''We're excited that there's a certain new prime minister Stephen Harper, who ran a low-voltage but high-energy campaign,'' he said to chuckles from the audience.

''It was electrifying to Albertans - though quite shocking to those in Toronto - and we're delighted that we might have a fresh start.''

On Friday, Melchin is scheduled to take part in a day-long roundtable discussion with other energy executives and officials hosted by the Ontario Energy Association.

The Canadian Press