A Costly Diagnosis

The report examines the health and economic impacts of Alberta's heavy reliance on coal-fired electricity, which generated 64 per cent of the province's electricity in 2012. Using the Illness Cost of Air Pollution (ICAP) model and other data, the authors estimate that coal plants contribute to hundreds of premature deaths and thousands of emergency department visits annually. The report identifies a wide range of pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, mercury, and particulate matter, which affect respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health. Economically, the report argues that the true societal cost of coal—including health damages and the social cost of carbon—ranges from 3.6 to 13.7 ¢/kWh, far exceeding the market pool price of 6.6 ¢/kWh. The authors conclude that the current system effectively subsidizes coal power at the expense of public health and recommend that Alberta accelerate the retirement of coal units beyond the 50-year limit allowed by federal regulations.

• Alberta's electricity sector is the most greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive in Canada, with coal generating 64 per cent of its electricity in 2012.
• In 2011, coal plants in Alberta were responsible for significant portions of the province's man-made air pollution, including 33 per cent of sulphur dioxide, 10 per cent of nitrogen oxides, 6 per cent of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 44 per cent of mercury.
• The Illness Cost of Air Pollution (ICAP) model estimates that long-term exposure to air pollution from coal plants contributes to more than 100 premature deaths of Albertans annually, with a total of 3,085 estimated deaths between 2008 and 2031.
• Coal-fired power plants are linked to significant respiratory morbidity in Alberta, including an estimated 4,800 to 5,300 asthma symptom days annually and approximately 250 emergency department visits for respiratory illnesses each year.
• Mercury emissions from coal plants pose a specific risk to fetal neurological development; research indicates that methylmercury exposure in utero can lead to cognitive function loss and reduced IQ in children.
• The total societal cost of burning coal for electricity in Alberta is estimated to be between 3.6 and 13.7 ¢/kWh, which is significantly higher than the 2012 pool price of 6.6 ¢/kWh.
• Federal regulations allow most existing coal plants to operate until their 50th year of operation, meaning some units in Alberta could remain active into the 2060s unless provincial policies intervene.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2013). A Costly Diagnosis. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Costly-Diagnosis-2013-Pembina-CAPE-Lung-Asthma-report.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. A Costly Diagnosis. 2013. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Costly-Diagnosis-2013-Pembina-CAPE-Lung-Asthma-report.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=A Costly Diagnosis |date=March 2013 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Costly-Diagnosis-2013-Pembina-CAPE-Lung-Asthma-report.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2013costly, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{A Costly Diagnosis}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/A-Costly-Diagnosis-2013-Pembina-CAPE-Lung-Asthma-report.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }