Enmax

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IMHO prices of both natural gas and oil/gasoline will rise relentlessly in the long term.

There is a fixed supply of oil and natural gas in the world, perhaps 70 years worth. There is an increasing consumption of oil and natural gas as nations like China become more developed.

We can explore and develop more areas, such as off the B.C. north coast. This will buy some more time but the end result will be the same. As areas become more and more expensive to explore and drill, and as the world demand for oil and gas continues to increase, there is only one direction prices will go -- up.

We consumers have been spoiled by low energy prices over the years. That will change in the future.

A fixed-price plan by your Alberta gas company may even out the bumps in price but in the end the company wouldn't offer this plan if they didn't intend to make money on it.

My approach to dealing with this problem is

1. Invest in oil and gas companies.

2. We had better be prepared to accept and pay for new technologies which minimize hydrocarbon fuel use.