A SaskPower program that allows individuals, groups and corporations to generate their own renewable and carbon-neutral power received more applicants than there was space in the program.
The successful applicants were announced via media release Friday. They include businesses, First Nations and individual citizens. A total of 35 MW was accepted into the program. 10 MW was reserved for renewable projects, and 25 MW for carbon-neutral non-renewables. Applications were open in late November.
Renewable projects are allowed to generate up to 1 MW, while non-renewable carbon-neutral technology can generate up to 5 MW.
A total of 17 applicants picked up the 23 renewable licenses, while eleven proponents obtained the 15 non-renewable permits.
Muskoday, Keeseekoose, Ocean Man and English River First Nations, along with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, were the First Nations groups which were approved to operate renewable energy generation projects.
Major energy companies such as Baytex and Canadian Natural were among the carbon-neutral generation applicants who were successful.
While the generation permits were open to solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass, waste heat and flare gas power, only solar and flare gas applications ended up receiving approval.
“We got a really strong response,” SaskPower spokesperson Joel Cherry said.
“Both of the programs reached the cap. There was a pretty good cross-section of different types of customers there, which is a positive as well.”
At least two individual producers were successful in their bids, though the program differs from another one, called net metering, where individual customers with solar panels on their home or business can sell back whatever power they don’t use.
“That’s different because it’s really small,” Cherry said.
“This is a larger capacity project they’ll be running and selling it all back to the company through a power-producing agreement.”
While the first round of intake was capped at 35 MW, a second intake, set for this fall, will add an additional 40 MW to bring the total to 75. An option to pick up the program for a third year also exists, which would bring the total amount of self-generated power added to the grid to 105 MW.
“This is another step we’re taking to reduce our emissions,” Cherry explained.
“We have set a target for ourselves to reduce our emissions 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, and increasing our renewable capacity and low-carbon electricity project is a positive step towards meeting those targets.”
For more information on the project, visit saskpower.com
Successful applicants (with approved kw)
Renewable:
• miEnergy Inc (2) 390, 390
• Seitz Holdings Corp (2) 500, 500
• Ocean Man First Nation (2) 720, 280
• Crescent Point Energy (2) 500, 500
• Meadow Lake Tribal Council 816
• David Bosch & Rose Bosch (2) 700, 285
• Keeseekoose First Nation (2) 330, 300
• Ruf Holdings Inc 330
• Des Nedhe Development (English River First Nation) 240
• Sierra Colony Farms Ltd 410
• Iphoton Inc (David W Angell) 700
• Todd Caswell 405
• CGW Golden Wheat International Trading Ltd 495
• Suntric Inc (Mark Bateman) 510
• Muskoday First Nation 324
• Cowessess Wind Developments Ltd 100
• S-Elect Energy 284
Carbon-neutral:
• Baytex Energy Ltd (4) 1000, 810, 810, 810
• TERIC Power Ltd 1500
• Canadian Natural Resources (2) 200, 150
• Enerplus Corporation 800
• Superb Operating Company Ltd 340
• Highrock Resources Ltd 500
• Burgess Creek Exploration Inc. 515
• Whitecap Resources 5000
• Superb Operating Company Ltd 4000
• Steel Reef Infrastructure Corp 5000
• Netback Production Solutions Corp 4200
