Mr. Speaker, last week the environment minister said that Canada must be “an energy superpower...low carbon, low risk and low cost”, but the government has deliberately chosen to ignore a proven opportunity: waste heat to power. Every day, heat from industries, such as metals, chemicals and cement, escapes unused. Industry makes up over half of Canada's energy use. Much of it lost as residual heat. That is zero-emission electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
Other countries act. The U.S. gives a 30% tax credit. France's is up to 50%. In Canada, it is nothing. The government decided to exclude waste heat to power in its clean technology incentives. This misguided mindset must be corrected now. Conservatives would do what this government will not, which is to manage Canada's energy future with economic sense.