Alternative energy

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley pressed Ed Picco, minister responsible for energy, on what the government was doing to promote alternative energy last Friday.

After Picco described some past experiments with wind energy, and residual heat, Curley posed his question in a different way.

“Does the government have a plan that would provide incentives for people who may be interested in developing a type of technology that could work up here?” Curley asked.

“I think the government should really be taking a lead role, not piggy-backing someone’s coat somewhere,” he later said.

“I am asking the minister if we would consider establishing a unit in his department that would seriously look at alternatives, to create incentives before the private sector is asked to carry the burden of investing in fuel and energy technology.”

Picco agreed we have an “awful addiction” to fossil fuels, and said he would update the house on his progress in February.