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 Scotian WindFields has submitted our comments to the Dept of Energy regarding the new proposed Renewable Energy Regulations.  In general, we are very supportive of the Government's efforts to encourage locally owned renewable energy through a Feed In Tariff (COMFIT).A copy of our submission is attached below.  A summary of our points is has follows:

This afternoon, the good folks at allnovascotia.com broke the news that Nova Scotia Power Inc (NSPI) plans to file for significant rate increases for 2011 at the Utility and Review Board. The reported increases will be 12% for residential customers and 18% for industrial customers.

These increases are due to two main factors:

1) Purchasing cleaner coal, which is in continuously higher demand
2) Installing improvements to coal fired thermal plants to reduce mercury emissions

Heritage Gas was before the Utility and Review Board last week to defend its ballooning capital deficit. Essentially, Heritage Gas is wooing new customers with short term low prices, with the plan to significantly increase prices over the next decade. Most notably, the company has plans to raise Natural Gas prices by 12% in 2012 and 8% in 2013. (See Chronicle Herald article below)

Luckily, we are laughing with them.

Two of Scotian WindFields’ projects are featured in comedic video put out by Killam Properties Inc. The two projects are the 50kW wind turbine at Mountainview, in Lake Echo Nova Scotia, and the 100 solar collectors at Quinpool Tower, downtown Halifax Nova Scotia 
 

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The Conservation Council of New Brunswick released their assessment of the new Community Energy Policy in New Brunswick earlier this week. NB’s new energy policy calls a 10Cents/kWh Feed-in-Tariff for community based renewable energy projects, but the Council doesn’t think that is enough. They note that in Ontario, under their Green Energy Act, the price paid to small power producers is based on the cost of production plus a reasonable rate of return, and ranges from 14-43cents/kWh.

Environment Minister, Jim Prentice’s weekend announcement of Canada’s new emission reduction target was not a commitment at all. It was an evasive maneuver.

He made the announcement as a part of the country’s obligation under the Copenhagen Accord that Canada endorsed in December of 2009. Anyone who reviews the numbers will quickly realize that the target to reduce Canada’s ghg emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 is an avoidance tactic by a government that has no intention of reducing emissions.

Two important studies were released to the public by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy today.

The first paper is the result of the highly publicized Wheeler Process, which included over a hundred stakeholders. The second study was performed by engineering firm SNC-Lavalin and analyzed the more technical issues of transmission capacity and operational issues.
By all accounts these two studies will be the basis of our energy policy for the next five years.

More to come, once I’ve read them…

 With the introduction of the Feed in Tariff program in Ontario, this year’s CanSIA Conference was dominated by the talked about PV power generation and the presence of PV solar collector manufacturers.  Considering the offered feed-in rate of 80 cents per kWh, it was no surprise.

Natural Resources Canada has released survey of active solar thermal collectors for the industry and markets in Canada for the year 2008.  This report reviews the following collectors:

• Unglazed liquid collectors
• Unglazed air collectors
• Glazed liquid collectors
• Evacuated tube liquid collectors

With the exception of the evacuated tube liquid collectors, all the collectors have doubled their domestic sales from 2007.