Released on October 12, 2000
By 2002, half of the power consumed by facilities owned and operated by theGovernment of Canada in Saskatchewan will be wind-powered.
Natural Resources Canada Minister Ralph Goodale today announced the Government
of Canada is contributing $12.4 million over 10 years to SaskPower,
Saskatchewan's electrical utility, for the development of a green power market
in Saskatchewan.
"The Government of Canada's purchase is the largest single purchase of green
power ever in Canada," Goodale said. "SaskPower will provide at least 25,000
megawatt-hours of clean wind energy to federal buildings, creating jobs for
independent power producers and stepping up Saskatchewan's efforts to address
climate change."
As the country's single largest enterprise, the Government of Canada uses a lot
of energy for its buildings, resulting in significant emissions of greenhouse
gases, a major contributor to climate change. One way of cutting down on
emissions is to use energy that comes from sources that emit no or few
greenhouse gases. This kind of power is called "green" because it is generated
from renewable resources such as wind, water, sun, wood and other forms of
biomass. Renewable energy sources produce electricity or thermal energy
without depleting natural resources.
"This green power project is an excellent way SaskPower can continue to provide
the people of Saskatchewan with safe, reliable and cost-effective electricity,
while at the same time being mindful of environmental concerns," Crown
Investments Corporation Minister John Nilson said.
Under an agreement signed today by Goodale and Nilson, the utility will issue a
request for proposals for a third-party supplier to produce the wind-generated
power. Excess capacity will be offered to SaskPower customers.
The Government of Canada currently purchases significant amounts of wind-
generated electricity for its facilities in Alberta. The local utility has
built on this generating capacity and now sells four times the amount of the
original purchase to other customers.
Funding for the agreement with SaskPower was announced in the February, 2000
Budget. Negotiations are under way for a similar agreement in Prince Edward
Island. The Government of Canada has pledged $1.25 billion over the next five
years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including a commitment to purchase 20
percent of the government's electricity requirements from emerging sources of
energy that emit little or no greenhouse gases. This will help the government
significantly reduce emissions from its own operations as well as encouraging
voluntary green-power markets. Other benefits include cleaner air and the
development of a viable, renewable energy industry.
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For more information, contact:
Pat Breton Larry Christie
Press Secretary Supervisor, Public Affairs & Community Relations
Natural Resources Canada SaskPower
Phone: (613) 996-2007 Phone: (306) 566-3167
Toll Free: 1-888-536-0000