Issue
Literature has long suggested that Alberta has the natural assets and technical feasibility to support further renewable energy development. Alberta’s renewable energy generation is low compared to the other provinces. Alberta’s largest source of renewable energy is wind power, generated from turbines often built together at wind farms on rural land, producing roughly 20% of total electricity in the province.
Background
Despite the importance and potential of renewable energy as part of a low carbon future, Alberta generated 30% of its electricity in 2022 from renewable sources. This compares to British Columbia at 90%, Ontario at 92%, and Quebec at 99%. The Government of Canada has set the goal of achieving a net-zero power grid by 2050 and has been enacting legislation aggressively to see that goal through.
In addition to Government of Canada Net-Zero regulation, on January 14 and 15, 2024, Alberta Electric System Operator issued provincewide gride failure warnings due to increased demand caused by extreme cold. These warnings requested that residents and businesses limit their consumption and were not only disruptive, but they were also potentially economically costly due to possible lost productivity because of interruption to business operations.
Recommendations
That the Government of Alberta:
- Set clear targets and make commensurate investments in energy storage projects to ensure Alberta can leverage its opportunities in renewable energy;
- Develop outreach programs to attract students to relevant academic programs – with the aim of producing a diverse, highly skilled work force of post-secondary graduates and/or tradespersons;
- Create a tax incentive to business to reduce capital cost barriers of installing renewable energy technologies; and,
- Engage in a united action with other levels of government, electricity employers, and academic institutions to support education and training or retraining to optimize the labour potential of current workers.
