SEP 23, 2010
On September 23 & 24, 2010, over 30 people representing a range of interests gathered in Red Deer to discuss strategy and membership for an Alberta Green Energy Alliance. A feed-in-tariff (FIT) with a specific focus on rural communities was the centrepiece of the conversation.
The prospect of a Green Energy Act to reduce Alberta's reliance on coal and better utilizing our renewable resources provides the foundation for launching the Alberta Green Energy Alliance.
Purpose
Develop core membership and preliminary strategy for the Alberta Green Energy Alliance
The Alberta Green Energy Alliance would offer the provincial government the political license to create an Alberta Green Energy Act. The Act would help diversify and green Alberta's economy and would support individuals, communities and companies in generating electricity from low-impact, renewable sources.
During the meeting we focused on a community feed-in-tariff as the critical component of a Green Energy Act.
Objectives
- Gather representatives from key constituents which would advance an Alberta Green Energy Strategy
- Explore key strategies for success employed in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and other jurisdictions which have established progressive renewable energy policies
- Identify draft list of short term and long term policy goals with the highest possibility of implementation and impact in the Alberta political context
- Develop preliminary strategy for the Alberta Green Energy Alliance including additional membership, preliminary communication structure, resource identification, etc.
Meaningful, green jobs are a major benefit of utilizing renewable resources
Agenda
Thursday, September 23
8:30 Registration and light breakfast
9:00 Introductions and overview of the day
pacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; ">9:40 Setting the context
- Tim Weis (see Tim's presentation in pdf)
- Paul Cabaj (see Paul's presentation, originally prepared by Julie MacArthur in PowerPoint or pdf)
10:30 Break
10:40 What Alberta can learn from other jurisdictions - presentation and reflection
- Paul Gipe - Wind Works (see Paul's presentation in pdf)
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Visioning - preferred future
14:15 Break
14:25 Current reality - opportunities and challenges in Alberta
16:20 Closing reflection
18:00 Optional networking supper and cash bar on site ($25 additional charge)
Friday, September 24
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Welcome and overview
9:10 Identifying targets & allies
9:55 Break
10:05 Moving forward and next steps
11:45 Closing reflection (lunch not included)
References
Recommended pre-reads
Grading North American Feed-in Tariffs by Paul Gipe (2010)
How do existing North American feed-in tariff programs stand up to best practices worldwide? How well do they compare to, say, programs in Germany or France? What programs are world-class? What programs are laggards? What programs fail to make the grade and are poor imitations of successful policies elsewhere? What innovations have North Americans contributed to what has become the worldwide policy of choice for developing renewable energy? These are all questions that need to be answered as policy makers look for guidance on how to design programs that not only work, but are also fair and equitable to ratepayers. This essay examines and grades North American feed-in tariffs. Some excel, some pass, and many fail in comparison to best practices worldwide. Read more...
Best Practices in Social Economy and Community Wind by Julie MacArthur, BALTA Researcher, Simon Fraser University (2010)
The purpose of this paper is fourfold: (a) to explore the context and rationale for community based wind development, (b) to outline basic forms and structures of community and co-operative wind projects, (c) to examine financing and policy challenges and opportunities, and (d) to outline domestic and international best practice cases. What is known about this niche of the green energy sector is often contained in diverse literatures that rarely speak to each other. This paper is an attempt at drawing together conceptual and practical tools from a wide base to explore, examine and facilitate community based wind projects in Canada generally and Alberta specifically. Read more...
Greening the Grid: Powering Alberta's Future with Renewable Energy by Jeff Bell and Tim Weis, The Pembina Institute (2009)
Alberta's growing demand for electricity can be entirely met by tapping into the province's vast renewable energy resources.
Pembina's analysis of green electricity scenarios clearly demonstrates Alberta has incredible potential to become a leader in green power production and energy efficiency and doesn't have to rely on dirty fuels. Read more... (fact sheet, full report)
Other Provincial Clean Energy Alliance Documents
A Vision of a Greener Energy System for Ontario by Ontario Green Energy Act Alliance (2008)
On September 16, over 100 people gathered to envision a greener Ontario. The group was diverse: First Nations, farmers, advocates and practioners, current and retired employees of local distribution companies and municipalities, civil servants, lawyers, business leaders and a broad representation of non-governmental organizations.
This important event has officially launched the stakeholder engagement process for the creation of the Ontario Green Energy Act. It was a participative session where the stakeholders were taken through a formal visioning process. The outcome was a declaration of strategic goals for the future of Ontario's electricity sector.
The final statement outlines the potential for renewable energy and conservation in Ontario - and the barriers that the Ontario Green Energy Act must overcome to achieve them. Read more...
Nova Scotia Sustainable Electricity Alliance Terms of Reference by Ecology Action Centre (2010)
The Nova Scotia Sustainable Electricity Alliance is comprised of leading trade associations, environmental groups, First Nations, energy developers, academics and consumers. We represent both rural and urban Nova Scotia.
The Alliance was formed as a result of a common mission to support the implementation of policies that facilitate the development of community based and community owned renewable energy production. The purpose of NovaSEA is to encourage a strong long term renewable energy policy framework; facilitate the transition to price stability that a secure long term supply of renewable electricity generation affords; and create an environment of equitable access to renewable energy development opportunities for all Nova Scotians.
This includes opportunities for First Nations and community driven projects to maximize local community economic development and support the diversification of the renewable energy market in Nova Scotia. Read more...
Additional Reference Documents
Feeding the Grid Renewably: Using feed-in tariffs to capitalize on renewable energy by Roger Peters and Tim Weis, The Pembina Institute (2008)
Feed-in tariffs have been demonstrated to be the most effective policy mechanism that a country can use to foster the rapid development of renewable energy systems. Close to two-thirds of the world's wind energy and half of the solar PV systems have been installed as a result of feed-in tariffs.
The purpose of this document is to introduce the reader to the key elements of feed-in tariffs and the ways in which they function to achieve rapid renewable energy deployment. Read more... (fact sheet, full report)
Building the Green Economy: Employment Effects of Green Energy Investments for Ontario by Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier (2009)
The study, led by Professor Robert Pollin, an expert in the economics of building a clean-energy economy and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, assesses the job creation potential of two investment scenarios. Under the first scenario, based on European countries that have laws similar to the proposed Green Energy Act, a total investment of $47.1 billion over 10 years would result in 90,000 jobs per year. The jobs would ramp up over time as investments in conservation, renewable energy, recycling waste energy into electricity and smart grid upgrades increased.
Under the second scenario, based on the green energy investments proposed in the Ontario Power Authority's plan for rebuilding the province's electricity system, investments totalling $18.6 billion over 10 years would result in the creation of 35,000 jobs per year. The Ontario Power Authority is expected to release a revised electricity plan this summer, once it has gauged the initial response to the Green Energy Act. Read more...
Registration
To register and for more information, contact Paul Cabaj at paul.cabaj (at) gmail (dot) com or 780.716.4475 or Tim Weis of the Pembina Institute at timw (at) pembina (dot) org or 780-485-9610 x105.
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