The Pembina Institute is calling for some badly-needed fact-checking, following a flurry of articles, editorials, and reports that exaggerate the costs Alberta will incur with its plan to phase out coal-fired generation by 2030.

“The Coal Association of Canada—the lobby group representing the coal industry—is spreading the entirely unsubstantiated claim the coal phase-out will ‘triple’ electricity bills,” said Electricity Program Director Ben Thibault. “There is no basis or analysis to support this assertion. There is no other way to describe this behaviour: it’s deception and fear mongering.”

Thibault said the disinformation campaign is “beyond irresponsible—it is destructive and undermines reasoned policy discourse on a topic that is important to all of us.”