SaskRenewables releases 7 key policy recommendations to meet SaskPower’s 50 percent renewables targets: Number 1 is cross-province public engagement
- SaskPower’s 50 percent target is a $5-billion opportunity for the people of Saskatchewan
- Maximising the potential requires good policy and strong public engagement
- Today we release our seven key policy proposals: public dialogue is Number 1
Wind and solar power are the world’s fastest growing energy industries because they are cost effective and enjoy enormous public support. SaskPower has, as a result, recently announced that renewables will be half of our generation capacity by 2030. As our province prepares to meet this ambitious goal we should learn from the experience of those that have gone before us.
Solar panels and wind turbines represent a fundamentally different way of generating electricity: they are distributed and decentralised. This, in combination with modern technology, allows the public to be directly involved in generating their own electricity.
Commenting on this opportunity Curtis Olson, Chair of SaskRenewables;
“What we are seeing today is equivalent to the beginning of the Internet age, whereby success depends critically on public engagement and involvement. Maximizing the opportunity requires a fundamentally different approach: public buy-in is critical. Securing that buy-in starts with a comprehensive process of asking the public how they want their renewables to be developed.”
For an excellent example of public dialogue on electricity options one need look no further than Nova Scotia’s ‘Our Electricity Future’ which was completed this year following a one-year, province-wide, consultation.
SaskPower’s 50 percent renewables target is about much more than wind turbines and solar panels: it represents a $5-billion industry which could employ thousands of people in well paying jobs across the province. Today we start the process of realizing this awesome potential. We look forward to working closely with SaskPower, the public and the Saskatchewan business community as we further develop our seven nascent policy proposals in the months ahead.
SaskRenewables is the member-driven organization representing the provincial renewables industry. We advocate for policy which maximises the economic, social and environmental benefits for Saskatchewan as we develop our world-class renewable energy resource.
