Alberta (Canada) slaps punitive tax on solar panels

jleyank

Alberta is the most US-like province. As it's not been hit by Trump tariffs, it opposes any change to the current situation. As it's based on oil revenue (with some food production), of course it opposes renewable energy sources. Bit selfish, it is. I wonder how loud they'd yowl if "no trade with Canada" gores their ox?

dyauspitr

Regressives that will be left behind by most of the world within 10 years.

softwaredoug

I’m not at all defending this, but before you freak out, it’s a $14 fee per solar panel. Not like 25% tax on utilities that produce solar or somesuch. In case you want to appropriately calibrate your anger.

dismalaf

This is an insane take. A $14 recycling tax per $1000+ panel comes to <1.4%, which is around a quarter of federal sales tax for example, or 1/10 of combined GST and PST somewhere like BC. Alberta has no provincial sales tax for the record and is the ONLY province without provincial sales tax. Solar panels are still more expensive in every other province in Canada based on sales tax rates alone. <1.4% to fund the proper recycling of a solar panel seems more than reasonable. Edit - also Alberta already has the lowest cost per installed watt of any province due to generally lower taxes and more vibrant construction ecosystem. Plus no PST. Complaining about a recycling fee is completely brain-dead and/or propaganda. Edit 2 - https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/06/05/solar-panel-recycling... $14 per panel seems pretty good. This link estimates the cost at $15-45 USD, I've heard of costs as high as a couple hundred euros in France (except it's billed directly to the manufacturer so it's hidden). Complaining about $14 in the only Canadian province without PST is ridiculous.

em3rgent0rdr

Disposal/recycling fees should be applied to all products.

rc_mob

"dumbasses do a dumbass thing"

jdlyga

This is a good lesson in how headlines can be used to manipulate you - "slaps", "punitive tax"

morkalork

Why don't they slap some punitive taxes on O&G executives whose companies that leave abandoned wells all over the province? No? Government too captured by corporate interests?

jerlendds

I unfortunately live in Alberta and I have to say Smith seems decently smart. Which is not to say I agree with or would vote for her but that shes very capable of getting things she wants. Seeing Alberta pop up on HN so often is disheartening. I hope she gets voted out soon or I just might have to move

metalman

Peak oil, peak profits, peak stupidity. These are the last gasps of the petro dollar. Solar pv and batteries have already won the future as humanities main energy source. Tar sand is going to be totaly abandoned as a fossil fuel even before coal. Demand collapse for hydrocarbons has begun. China has reduced oil consumption by 9% so far this year, CO² reductions are more, while there overall energy consumption has gone up.Many other countrys are following suit, and thats, that.

slopinthebag

Clicks on Authors name ctrl- Danielle Smith Ah. One thing I find endlessly funny is when people of a particular leaning adopt “the other side”’s arguments when it suits them. People who are left leaning generally have a positive view of taxation, and reject arguments that it stifles growth and development, or that it creates a complex bureaucratic environment. Yet the author seems to have no problem applying that argument when it suits their case. You see this on the right as well when so-called personal freedom enjoyers argue for the dismantling of certain individual freedoms if they disagree with them. In this case it sounds like a nothing burger which is being used to fuel the authors personal vendetta against Alberta’s premiers.

snapplebobapple

Seems cheap to me. No way 14 bucks covers collection, transport to a specialized recycling plant and recycling of a panel. We also have a long hiatory of slapping recycling fees on electronics and other thibgs across canada so this doeant seem out of line at all.