Workers offer blueprint for coal transition

EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - March 1, 2017) - A coalition of workers who will be affected by Alberta's plan to eliminate emissions from coal-fired electricity generation are unveiling a report on how jobs can be maintained and preserved.

The report, "Getting It Right: A Just Transition For Alberta's Coal Workers," will be released to the media and to the government at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 3, at the Electrical Industry Training Centre in Edmonton (4234 93 street NW). In the report, several successful phase-out strategies in other jurisdictions are examined, and a made-in-Alberta proposal is put forth.

"The workers who have dedicated their careers to keeping the lights on should not carry an unfair burden from the necessary phase out of coal-fired electricity generation," Coal Transition Coalition chair Gil McGowan said. "This government is a global leader and innovator in climate change policies -- They can also be leaders in finding a path forward for workers in industries affected by these policies."