Entrepreneurship Key to Greening the Grid

COMMENTARY - The world is turning away from carbon-based fuels and toward renewable energy sources. There is tremendous opportunity for Saskatchewan to become a major producer of renewable energy. We have the wind, sun, and landmass needed to show leadership in green energy.

Yet, despite our natural advantages, we only produce 4.5% of our nearly 3700 megawatt capacity from renewable sources not including hydro. What is holding us back? The government.

In Saskatchewan we are not given the choice to add renewables to our energy mix. The SaskPower monopoly on production means that politicians decide which sources our power will come from. This makes a move toward renewables dependent on political will that simply hasn’t existed within recent governments.

The government needs to give up a little control and empower green entrepreneurs. We need to provide universal access for small-scale producers of renewables to sell into the grid. Long-term set price agreements should be established that include a modest profit for the producer.

Not only does this add more renewables into our energy mix, but it also provides access to a market for renewable energy producers. The opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural Saskatchewan are especially high and could give farms and aboriginal communities a much needed economic boost by providing access to another revenue source.

This Feed-In Tariff model is the reason countries like Germany, Finland, and Denmark are leading the world in renewable power. If only the Saskatchewan government were willing to give up some control, we too could be leaders in the green energy market.

- Ryan Bater, Saskatchewan Liberal Leader