Solar folly

[oneoff]

Just for information; the deadline for the improved Sask Power program probably expired yesterday. You'd think someone could have emphasized that deadline a bit better.

Personally I feel that something not worthy of doing on its own merits should be flagged as such; and treated very suspiciously.

[oneoff]

Just for information; the deadline for the improved Sask Power programs probably expired yesterday. You'd think someone could have emphasized that deadline a bit better.

Personally I feel that something not worthy of doing on its own merits should be flagged as such; and treated very suspiciously.

[oneoff]

Here's the Leader Post take on the newe Sask Power Program. And yes it appears on has to wait another full year to apply for Year 2. Too slow for this year; but just maybe that is a blessing.

Quote

Sask. announces new power generation program as part of climate change strategy
The Saskatchewan government has announced a new power program that will provide SaskPower with additional sources of energy and is meant to contribute to the province's climate change strategy.

D.C. FRASER, REGINA LEADER-POST Updated: October 3, 2018

SaskPower head office in Regina. TROY FLEECE / REGINA LEADER-POST

SHARE
ADJUST
COMMENT
PRINT
With an eye on reducing carbon emissions, the Saskatchewan government is planning to make it easier to sell power to SaskPower.

Announced Wednesday, the Power Generation Partner Program (PGPP) — which replaces the Small Power Producers program and the Flare Gas Power Generation program — is a two-year plan, with an option to extend it to three and allows customers to develop “power generation projects” to sell electricity to SaskPower.

Environment and SaskPower Minister Dustin Duncan says the new program was developed after a “significant amount of consultation.”

He says the new program will bring anywhere between 70 and 105 MWs of power onto the province’s grid.

Duncan said caps on the amount of power the Crown would purchase under the two previous programs were raised as concerns by stakeholders.



“That certainly caused some pause, particularly on the industry side,” he said, noting companies have to make an investment in order to generate power for the grid, and under the previous program the dollars involved in that “didn’t make sense.”

He is expecting “much greater uptake” under the new plan, in part because the amount of power the Crown will purchase is being increased.

Every year, the PGPP will accept up to 10 megawatts of renewable generation, like solar, and 25 megawatts of carbon-neutral non-renewable generation, like flare gas. Applications will be accepted on an annual basis. This year’s application window runs from Nov. 15 to 30.

Duncan says on the industry side, the program will “not really be seen as a revenue generator,” but as a way for companies to reduce or negate their own emissions. That will likely come in the form of carbon-neutral, non-renewable power generation coming from flare gas. The idea being companies will invest money to be able to sell power from flare gas back to SaskPower rather than allow it to be a pollutant.

In order for that plan to be financially feasible for companies, Duncan says industry will “need a buyer for that gas in order for it to make sense.”

Under this program, SaskPower will be that buyer.

On the renewable generation side of the program, Duncan is expecting some SaskPower customers, as well as some municipalities, to invest. Large solar projects, paid for by individuals or municipalities aiming to enter the renewable power market, are an example of that.

Duncan admitted the power purchased under the program will be at a “bit of a premium” but said that will be “managed through the rates by SaskPower.”

An updated New Metering Program, where customers receive rebates when they generate renewable electricity to offset their own power use, will be announced later this year.

dfraser@postmedia.com

UNQUOTE