SaskPower disappoints stakeholders with renewable energy generation

"Stakeholders expressed a high level of dissatisfaction with SaskPower and what was described as a 'wait and see' approach to climate change. Stakeholders highlighted multiple examples of how SaskPower has fallen behind its peer group in renewable power generation. There is a strong desire from participants for SaskPower to pursue a new business model that accommodates new generation options."

- excerpts from the Summary of Stakeholder Consultations

The Saskatchewan government released their Summary of Stakeholder Consultations on the Saskatchewan Climate Change Regulations today. The Regulations will implement the new Management and Reduction of Greenhouse Gases and Adaptation to Climate Change Act in Saskatchewan.

Stakeholders provided examples of where SaskPower policies were a barrier to cogeneration opportunities that would lower emissions and support economic development.

Some of the noteworthy recommendations by stakeholders were:

- establishment of a renewable energy standard and strategy that would result in SaskPower adopting alternative energy options such as solar, biomass, wind, geothermal and others as a component of its base load generation capacity;
- pursuit of open and effective renewable energy sources and independent power generations would allow individuals and businesses to generate their own electricity and to sell the surplus power to SaskPower;
- engagement in cogeneration opportunities in rural and urban areas as a means to generate greener electricity and to support economic development. The consultation team was made aware of several cogeneration opportunities that had either been declined by SaskPower or "are outside of the existing SaskPower policies to be considered";
- restructuring of SaskPower policy frameworks to accommodate a wider range of large and small scale generation and co-generation options.

The full Summary is available at: http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/stakeholderconsultations