Canada to Boost Support for Riskier Forms of Renewable Energy

Project by Irish-based DP Energy aims to have turbines producing energy into grid by 2020

Millions of dollars in subsidies for a Nova Scotia tidal project is just one of the coming announcements as Ottawa boosts riskier forms of renewable energy, says the federal natural resources minister.

Amarjeet Sohi said Friday at a G7 energy ministers meeting that a $30-million contribution to a $117-million tidal project to harness the immense power of the Bay of Fundy tides will be among a series of subsidies given to kickstart innovations in emerging sectors across the country.

Alberta, Canada Leads the Pack With Cheap Wind Power; More to Come

When the winning bids for Alberta’s renewable power auction were announced in December, jaws dropped.

The winning projects were approved at a record-breaking low price of C3.7 cents per kilowatt hour — the lowest price for electricity anywhere in Canada.

“This is a game changer. Even the most optimistic observers were shocked at how low the price turned out to be,” said Binnu Jeyakumar, electricity program director at the Pembina Institute.

Canada Produces 66% of its Electricity from Renewables

Country produces 10 per cent of the world's hydro-electricity

Canada produced about 66 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, according to a new report.

The country is the second biggest producer of hydro electricity in the world, accounting for 10 per cent of the entire world’s generation.

The Alberta Advantage: Solar Rebates Give Homeowners a Boost in Canada

Alberta’s residential solar industry has chugged along for decades without government support.

That dry spell finally drew to a close on Monday, when the provincial NDP government announced a two-year, $36 million rebate program to help bring down the costs for residents, business and nonprofits who want to install solar projects.

By 2020, the number of solar installations on rooftops is expected to increase from 1,800 to 10,000 systems, which will create about 900 jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a half million tons (or the same as taking 100,000 cars off the road). The program is funded through the province's carbon tax revenue.

Canada: Ontario Provincial Cap and Trade Plan Goes into Effect

By: Marc Z. Goldgrub, Cleantech Law Partners

            On January 1st, 2017, the Canadian province of Ontario’s cap and trade plan went into effect. Introduced by current Provincial Premier Kathleen Wynne of the Ontario Liberal Party, the plan links Ontario with Quebec and California’s cap and trade carbon market, in place now for several years. 

The plan puts a cap on the amount of carbon homes and businesses can emit, and that cap lowers over time. Parties in the three subnationals whose emissions are above and below the cap can buy and sell carbon allowances each year in auctions, the first of which, for Ontario, will be held this March.

Alberta, Canada Advances Clean Energy Goals with More Renewables

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) said Nov. 3 that a provincial leader in Alberta made a major policy pronouncement at the final day of the association's 32nd Annual Conference and Exhibition in Calgary.

Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks and the Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office, Shannon Phillips, speaking in front of a packed plenary room at CanWEA 2016, announced that the Alberta government is introducing the Renewable Electricity Act to legislate its target of 30 percent renewable electricity by 2030. Phillips also announced that Alberta will be proceeding with a procurement of an initial 400 MW of renewable energy as a first step towards meeting the target.

Green Companies say Alberta's Target for Renewable Energy Should be Law

Green energy groups have joined an environmental think tank in calling on the Alberta government to legislate firm targets for renewable power.

The Pembina Institute and a number of green energy firms say in a letter to Premier Rachel Notley and others in her government that the province has shown strong leadership in its Climate Leadership Plan.

In Ontario, Canada, FIT projects approved for MH, AH

The province’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has approved a number of feed-in tariff (FIT) projects for Minden Hills and Algonquin Highlands. 

The IESO recently released a list of 936 renewable energy projects that were approved in the latest round of applications, more than 20 of them in Haliburton County. 

In Algonquin Highlands, five ground-mounted, solar projects were approved, all of them receiving support resolutions from Algonquin Highlands council last year. 

Alberta Introduces Carbon Tax Bill as it Formalizes Climate Plan

Alberta is moving to turn its ambitious climate-change plan into law with the introduction of legislation to tax purchases of all fossil fuels, including gasoline and natural gas.

Bill 20, introduced on Tuesday, is one of the first major steps by the Alberta government to formalize grand plans unveiled last November, when it announced a sweeping climate-change plan meant to significantly reduce or cap the province’s greenhouse-gas emissions.

Improving Alberta’s environmental reputation is seen as crucial by the NDP government and some energy industry leaders, who believe that the strategy will help attract investment in the oil and gas sector, put greater emphasis on technology and renewable energy and win support to build one or more new pipelines to Canadian coasts.

Canada’s New Leader Meets with Obama, Reverses Canadian Federal Policy on Climate Change

By: Marc Z. Goldgrub, Cleantech Law Partners 

           

Emerging from his meeting with President Obama at the White House on Thursday, March 10th, newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that for the first time in over a decade, the two nations’ leaders share a “common goal” regarding climate change. “We want a clean growth economy that continues to provide good jobs and great opportunities for all of our citizens,” said Prime Minister Trudeau. “And I am confident that by working together we will get there sooner than we think.” Prime Minister Trudeau’s speech also referenced his and Obama’s intention to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change, reduce methane and hydrofluorocarbon emissions in both countries, and introduce aligned greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy duty vehicles.

Alberta is the Only Province in Canada Without a Renewable Energy Policy

Albertans have already seen so many promises broken.

So we shouldn’t expect much more from Premier Jim Prentice, the newly elected leader of Alberta’s New Democrats told a Lethbridge audience Thursday.

Edmonton MLA Rachel Notley, selected three weeks ago to lead her party in the next election, recounted many campaign promises offered by previous premier Alison Redford and Conservative premiers before her.

They ranged from 140 new “community clinics across the province, she said, to full-day kindergarten and eradication of child poverty “within five years.”

But few if any of the promises have been honored, Notley told the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs. More and more Albertans are now relying on food banks, she said, though the number of families in dire need has fallen in other provinces.

Connecticut's Canadian Hydro Bill Becomes Law

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Wednesday signed Connecticut's new renewable portfolio standards into law, opening the door to large-scale hydro from Canada.

The bill expands the definition of renewable energy beyond wind, solar, and fuel cells, but still calls for 20 percent of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.

New CEAA Act to change Canadian RE Industries

The environmental assessment is a staple in the process of getting industrial energy projects approved and onto the construction phase. Whether the project is for a traditional or renewable energy source, or an addition to the transmission grid, projects must be reviewed by a governmental regulatory entity to make sure the addition to the area’s energy portfolio won’t have any adverse environmental impacts. The law by which this process is regulated in Canada is the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). The first version of this act was enacted in 1992, shortly followed by the establishment of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, which is responsible for carrying out the assessments.

Canada Aligning Its Climate Change Policy with the U.S.

Take-aways from The Energy Bar Association's February Meeting
By: Jay Tufano
Cleantech Law Partners

The Energy Bar Association’s (EBA) held its Western Chapter Meeting on February 23rd and 24th in San Francisco. The EBA assembled a diverse and distinguished group of speakers representing utilities, technology providers, international partners, and public utility commissioners. Cassie Doyle, Consulate General of Canada, presented an overview Canada’s energy policy highlighting its long-standing energy and trade partnership with the United States. Although Ms. Doyle’s presentation focused on Canada, it underscored the reverberating effects of the U.S.’s failure to adopt a comprehensive renewable energy and climate change policy.

Canada: Improving property tax system for green energy

McGuinty Government's Changes Encourage Renewable Energy Installations

Ontario is supporting property owners who install renewable energy technologies by improving property tax assessment policies for them.

The changes will provide greater clarity by creating additional categories for property tax assessment based on the size and location of energy generation. The move will encourage property owners to continue to install and use renewable energy technologies.

New Hampshire: What are the implications of FERC's new ruling on interstate transmission for hydropower development?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 1000 on July 21. The order amends FERC's requirements for interstate electric transmission companies to allocate the costs of transmission planning and developments to their customers. This is a big step for transmission projects and planning and the effect it will have on renewable energy projects, especially hydroelectric developments, could be positive.

What is Order 1000?

Connecticut’s new energy department taking shape

The plan to turn Connecticut into a leader in clean energy technology, renewable resources and lower cost electricity is beginning to take form.

“We are at that transformational moment,” said Kevin DelGobbo, chairman of the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

Clean tech funds key to Canada’s low-carbon future

The federal government is taking a regulatory, sector-by-sector approach to addressing  climate change concerns, putting it in step with the United States, our largest trading partner. This makes good sense.

In August, Environment Canada​ released a consultation paper on the development of proposed regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new on-road heavy-duty vehicles, as well as proposed regulations to reduce emissions from coal-fired electricity.

WTO to rule on energy renewable complaint from Japan against Canada

The World Trade Organization said on Wednesday it will rule on a Japanese claim that a Canadian province's renewable energy programme flouts international trade law.

"A panel was established," a spokesperson from the world trade body said, referring to a team of arbitrators.

At the heart of the dispute is the government of Ontario's "feed in tariff" (FIT) programme, which guarantees electricity prices from renewable energy facilities.