GREG POWELL, 12 MAY 2010

Over the past year or so, 12 municipalities from across Alberta have requested that the Province strike a renewable energy expert panel or task force. The requests were motivated, in part, by the expert panel that the Province struck to review nuclear power. The province had similarly struck expert panels to review oil and gas royalties, crime reduction and whether the Province should adopt an absolute or intensity-based target for greenhouse gases. (That the Province appears to generally disregard the recommendations of these expert panels may or may not be relevant.)

In response to the requests for a renewable energy expert panel, Premier Stelmach wrote, "As the government already has a clear position on renewable energy, and a sizeable amount of electricity generated in Alberta already comes from renewable sources, a process to determine if renewable energy should be added to the province's electricity mix is not required." The response continues, "Alberta's Provincial Energy Strategy reflects our position that renewable resources represent the future of energy development in the province, along with the clean development of our non-renewable resources. The strategy is a long-term action plan for Alberta to achieve clean energy production, wise energy use and sustained economic prosperity." (Letter from Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach to Peace River Mayor Iris Callioux dated September 8, 2009) I understand that the responses to most, if not all, of the 12 municipalities are similar to this one.

The significance in all of this is that while the Province spends time, money and energy defending an obsolete energy policy (which, in my opinion, is the opposite of a "long-term action plan for Alberta to achieve clean energy production"), municipalities are breaking moulds to usher in a green energy future. Calgary has plans to purchase all the electricity required for municipal operations from green energy sources and has been powering its C-Train system entirely with wind-generated power for several years.

Edmonton went as far as to strike its own renewable energy task force. (See Edmonton's task force terms of reference.) Medicine Hat's Hat Smart program is another excellent model.

Some municipalities are stuck asking, "the Province denied our request for a renewable energy expert panel, now what?" while some are moving independently of the Province. Regardless, the municipalities are the source of political leadership in Alberta.