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Background 

On September 23 and 24, 2010, over thirty (30) Albertans gathered in Red Deer to discuss the merits of a potential provincial action to encourage more low-impact renewable electricity facilities, energy efficiency, and renewable heat.  

Participants represented a diverse range of interest groups, from labour to environmental non-profits, from small business to rural electrification associations, from agricultural groups to co-ops, from government agencies to citizens groups and so on.  

We were united by a vision of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and Alberta becoming a leader in clean technology; some were driven to this vision by a desire for community resilience, some were driven by environmental protection and some were driven by the prospects for economic revitalization, especially in rural areas. 

Tim Weis of the Pembina Institute and Paul Cabaj of SPARK set the context for the conversation. Tim drew heavily upon the work Pembina did for the report Greening the Grid, while Paul discussed the benefits of community-owned renewables, using wind as a case study. 

Internationally renowned feed-in-tariff (FIT) expert, Paul Gipe, formerly the acting executive director for the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, framed the remainder of the conference with his presentation on FITs, reviewing Germany's successful FIT in a deregulated market, similar to Alberta's, and the factors that have led to the Ontario FIT's early success. 

A Shared Vision of the Future 

When prompted to describe a vision for the future, the group described Alberta as a leader in clean technology that has reduced its dependence on coal by enacting legislation that favours renewable energy, particularly by small-scale producers. Such legislation would lead to the proliferation of renewable, improve energy efficiency across the province and 'green' our labour force. Infrastructural changes include a smart grid, smart growth housing and low-carbon transportation options. An alliance, such as that gathered for the conference, would play a critical role in making this preferred future a reality - but there is much work to do. 

Moving Forward 

By the end of the meeting, the group had strong agreement (but did not seek consensus) to pursue a feed-in-tariff that would be appropriate for Alberta. We agreed to begin the formal creation of a group that would champion a green energy act. Focusing on rural Alberta and using renewable energy development as a means for community revitalization was a popular strategic starting point.  

The diversity of interests represented by the groups in attendance voiced a united concern for the need for new legislation to support low-impact renewable energy in Alberta. We recognized that renewables, together with dramatically improved energy efficiency and clean energy options like cogeneration, can replace coal-fired power. Even small changes that move us toward a vision of a preferred future may take two to three years; but with collaborative efforts to coordinate the province-wide interest in renewables we believe the change we seek is indeed possible. 

Next Steps 

Our immediate next steps include

• Creating our Terms of Reference and striking working committees-this includes a team developing a draft proposal for a feed-in-tariff appropriate to the Alberta context and
• Planning a teleconference in November 2010 and a video/teleconference in December 2010 to advance our efforts. Further communication will follow.