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At its current level of emissions, the company would be paying $615 million in carbon taxes, or more than 11 times the $54 million the company paid the city in dividends last year, said the group.
“Even though Enmax has mostly transitioned from coal to natural gas, they would still be pretty sensitive to carbon pricing,” said Tremblay.
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In an emailed statement, an Enmax spokesperson said “we are unclear on the basis used for their data or projections.”
In the fourth quarter of 2020, TransAlta Corp. recorded a $167-million loss attributed largely to depreciation and its transition from coal to natural gas, the latter 50 to 60 per cent cleaner.
Climate activists urge Enmax to set net-zero emissions targets calgaryherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from calgaryherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Citing "prolonged economic challenges" across Alberta's business sector, the city-owned power company confirmed Thursday it was cutting approximately 170 positions, some of which were eliminated late last year.
Stephenson said Enmax had no choice but to consolidate and reduce costs, necessitating the job losses.
“The prolonged economic challenges facing Alberta’s business sectors and communities required Enmax to adapt parts of our Alberta business to ensure we were structured to keep supporting our customers effectively and continue to create value for Calgarians,” she said.
“Our customers will not see changes in how we serve them.”
Some management and professional employees formerly with Enmax left late last year, and others departed earlier this week. Stephenson said some of the job cuts include unionized employees represented by CUPE, and their last day on the job is subject to the terms of their collective agreement.