Letter: Saamis Solar buy shows sensible foresight, despite detractors who don’t speak for everyone

By Letter to the Editor on September 19, 2024.

Dear editor,

I would like to congratulate the city on its foresight regarding the purchase of Saamis Solar Park. All municipalities will be looking at extra expenses as we transition toward a zero-carbon future (Medicine Hat’s were estimated about a year ago at $300+ million).

Our city has started the work of planning for these upgrades by proposing to buy a facility which can produce extra income and also help fund the process of weaning us off gas fired generation units.

Yes, the solar park will cost money to procure, but much of that money will be recovered over time by producing cheaper, salable power and moving us toward federal power mandates for zero carbon production.

I know people like Danielle Smith, Drew Barnes and the Medicine Hat Ratepayers Association want to just keep ignoring these mandates, but some of us actually care about a planet capable of sustaining life for our descendants.

I’m not sure who gave Sou Boss and the MHRA the right to speak for all of us. Just because she led a protest last summer regarding power rates doesn’t make her an expert on power production.

Her views quoted in the News often echo the voices of climate change deniers. The MHRA has only 400 members and was not given a mandate to continue to speak for Medicine Hat regarding future power generation.

Let’s stop acting like Luddites and join the rest of the world in moving forward. I’m proud of our city’s proposed action, which would be a contrast to the actions and attitudes of our backward leaning provincial government.

Gail Lawrence

Medicine Hat

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