Canada launches RFP to buy new clean electricity

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The Government of Canada has launched Requests for Proposal to buy new clean electricity in the province of Alberta to power federal operations there.

Canada also will buy Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) from new clean energy generation in Canada, a move intended to enable Canada to attribute its energy consumption as clean in regions where new clean renewable sources are not yet available.

The government’s combined electricity consumption includes roughly 532,000 MWh annually from greenhouse gas-emitting sources of electricity. Federal buildings in Alberta consume 31% of that total. Another 23% is consumed elsewhere in Canada where local clean electricity initiatives will not be available in the near term.

Together, the contracts issued through the RFP will help Canada cut its greenhouse gas footprint by around 133 kilotonnes or 56% of total real property emissions in Alberta. The contracts also are expected to displace on the order of 41 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use in the rest of Canada.

The approach will use one or more Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with clean electricity generators. These PPAs will secure renewable electricity by using funds that the government already spends on utility bills.

The Government of Canada’s Clean Electricity Initiative plans to use 100% clean electricity by 2022, where available.

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