Clean Energy Canada | Competition will deliver cost-effective renewable power in Alberta
November 3, 2016

EDMONTON — The Government of Alberta announced today that it will introduce a Renewable Electricity Act and initiate a competitive bidding process in 2017 to deliver 400 megawatts (MW) of renewable power, en route to 5,000 MW of renewable power by 2030.

QUOTES

“By legislating Alberta’s target of generating 30 per cent of electricity from renewable energy by 2030, the government is sending a long-term signal to investors that Alberta’s renewable energy market is open for business.

“The cost of renewable energy just keeps falling, as technologies improve and economies of scale take hold. The competitive bidding process Alberta will use is also being used in leading jurisdictions around the world, where it is successfully driving down costs.

“Alberta is home to numerous energy companies leading the way, including two of the largest renewable power operators in Canada: TransAlta and Enbridge. Companies like these will use their engineering expertise and entrepreneurial skill to deliver renewable power to Albertans, along with new jobs and revenue streams.”

— Dan Woynillowicz, Policy Director, Clean Energy Canada

KEY FACTS

• Just 9% of Alberta’s electricity generation currently comes from renewable sources such as the sun and wind (Source: Alberta Utilities Commission)
• From 2009 to 2015, the unsubsidized cost of wind and solar PV energy decreased 61 per cent and 82 per cent, respectively. (Source: Lazard 2015  Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis)
• The absence of supportive policy in Alberta led to a precipitous drop in clean energy investment in the province last year, with only a single wind project built in 2015. (Source: Clean Energy Canada)

Source: Tracking the Energy Revolution – Canada 2016, Clean Energy Canada.