Dear Editor:
Recently there have been two criticisms leveled at MLA Joe Anglin by Messrs. Vetsch and Finnen. Finnen questions Anglin’s honesty, and Vetsch claims confusion.
MLA Anglin’s record in the legislature concerning the use of HVDC is consistent with his position since 2006. It is consistent with the analysis of Jeffrey Church, Department of Economics University of Calgary. It is consistent with the analysis by William Rosehart and John MacCormack, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Calgary.
Anglin recommended the use of HVDC technology in 2006 because the Government of Alberta proposed to export electricity from Fort McMurray to California. To export electricity from Fort McMurray to California HVDC technology would most likely have been more appropriate. When the government proposed using HVDC technology only between Edmonton and Calgary, MLA Anglin and the aforementioned experts all opposed the use of HVDC on the basis that it was an uneconomic misuse of the technology. Each HVDC lines costs $1 billion more than an HVAC line, and neither line makes use of any of the advantages of HVDC.
The two current transmission line proposals do not take advantage of any of the savings HVDC technology could provide. In fact, the two proposed HVDC lines are expected to add to system loss (each are designed to operate at about six per cent loss) at a time when the raw loss factor was last reported to be 2.93 per cent. Vetsch or Finnen would not know this because they didn’t ask Anglin or any of the numerous experts practicing in this field. On the other hand, Anglin has met with the CEOs of all of the major companies involved in this proposal, along with many independent experts in the field of electricity generation. Mark Lisac, editor of Alberta’s independent newsletter, “Insight into Government” went so far as to described Joe Anglin as a “diligent researcher with a friendly manner.”
It’s Finnen and Vetsch who are confused. All that Anglin ever did was to help Vetsch and Finnen fight a transmission line that was not needed, and now they attack him in the newspaper without first giving him the common courtesy of at least asking him about what they don’t understand. To further illustrate Finnen and Vetsch’s confusion, Vetsch says it’s the ratepayers who pay for the transmission lines and not taxpayers. This is a silly argument. Every electric bill has a line item on it called “tax.” Anyone who pays an electric bill is a taxpayer. Vetsch should know this if he would take the time to look at his bill.
Finnen and Vetsch have taken comments out of context, and in one case quoted from an unreliable liberal blog, which MLA Anglin is on record refuting. If anyone needs to re-evaluate their integrity and honesty, I suggest Vetsch and Finnen look in the mirror. Why do they persist in attacking Anglin with false and inaccurate allegations? Why did Vetsch do a title search on Anglin’s house?
Both opposed MLA Anglin during the spring election and now they are behaving irrationally. Both will do well to stop the nonsense.
Cody Johnston,
Drayton Valley