Member Newsletter - Sept. 2021
As summer comes to a close and we head into what looks to be a busy fall season, here are this month’s highlights:
- Elemental Energy announces a pair of virtual PPAs
- BRC welcomes TELUS as a new member of the BRC Advisory Board
- We are in search of our next great director!
NEWS & UPDATES
Directory ready to launch — BRC is calling on all members to update your member profile as we get ready to launch our online member directory. The directory will be a quick reference for fellow members, and we’ll pull profiles every month to share in this newsletter. For a quick refresher on how to update:
- Login to the member portal using your organization as a username with your previous password.
- Click on the Edit option at the upper left. Alternatively, click on the Update Profile link in the top righthand corner, which can be accessed at any time when you are logged in.
- Update or complete the pre-populated profile with your organization’s website, logo, the About section and summary, designated organization contacts, and check whether you want this information available to other members.
If you are having trouble logging in or have further questions about updates, contact info@businessrenewables.ca
New director search — As director Rebecca Nadel wraps up her time leading BRC to relocate south of the border, we are actively searching for someone to fill her shoes! We encourage members to forward our Careers link to great candidates. Meanwhile, Rebecca will continue as director, with plans for a comprehensive transition and hand-over before year-end.
RESOURCES
Spring webinar videos — If you missed any of our spring webinar series, you can find recordings in the member resources section after you log in to the member portal or go directly to:
You can also find a recording of our public Corporate Renewables 101 session on the public side of our website, which you can share with others who might be interested in learning more about corporate procurement.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mark your calendars for our series of great fall events:
Sept. 15, 2021 — Bi-monthly buyers call (RBC and Bullfrog Power)
1:00 pm MT · Speakers: Sean Drygas, Bullfrog Power / Colliers International; Julia-Maria Becker, RBC · Register here
Oct. 5, 2021 — Alberta Power Symposium
1:00 pm MT · BRC director Rebecca Nadel speaks on How Corporate PPAs are Driving Economic Growth – Exploring Pricing Advantages and Disadvantages in the Renewable Energy Sector · Also speaking are BRC Members BluEarth, Capital Power, and TC Energy · More information here
Oct. 6, 2021 — Corporate Renewables 101
11:00 am MT · A public information session on the basics of corporate renewables and virtual power purchase agreements as well as latest market trends and insights
Oct. 13 and 20, 2021 — Fall Webinar Series
Nov. 9 - 10, 2021 — Buyers Boot Camp
Click here for this year’s full calendar, registration, and more details.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
WELCOME TO NEW BRC MEMBER: WESTBRIDGE ENERGY
Westbridge Energy Corp. is a Canadian renewable energy company focused on originating and developing utility-scale Solar PV projects which incorporate on-site storage and enabling technologies. We provide our investors with access to greenfield solar projects, contributing to Canada’s energy diversification and security. The Company’s aim is to develop a pipeline of solar projects, bringing together regulators, corporate buyers and landowners with the goal of delivering clean electricity to Canadians. Our flagship project is Georgetown Solar, a 230 MWac solar plus storage project in Southern Alberta with a Q3 2023 COD. Developing on 710 acres in Vulcan County, the project has a 30-year operation permit.
NEW ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER: TELUS
“Investing in renewable energy not only helps us grow our core business sustainably by powering our network from cleaner energy sources, it provides positive financial impacts for our organization.”
TELUS, one of Canada’s largest communications technology companies, serves 16 million customers with wireless, data, IP, voice television, entertainment, video and security connections. The company has designated multiple high-level goals around sustainability and social responsibility, all of which inform its operations across the country. Among these is a commitment to procure 100% of its electricity requirements from renewable or non-emitting sources by 2025, and to achieve 100% net carbon neutrality for operations and improvement of energy efficiency by 50% over current level by 2030. The company is well on its way, reducing energy consumption overall by 17% and greenhouse gas emissions by 37% since 2010.
So far, TELUS has purchased 22K+ MWh of renewable energy, just one of many sustainability benchmarks for the company. Across four PPAs signed and shown on the BRC Deal Tracker, the company has added 82 MW of solar powered generating capacity to Alberta’s grid, and 71MW of wind energy.
We are proud to welcome TELUS as a new member of the BRC Advisory Board!
MARKET NEWS
BRC member Elemental Energy, in partnership with Cold Lake First Nations, has signed a new 150 MW vPPA with Cenovus. The 15-year deal will cover the full offtake of a new solar energy project in southern Alberta, which is expected to begin producing electricity in 2023. Cenovus has designated this PPA to help mitigate its scope 2 emissions.
Elemental Energy has also signed a deal with TC Energy, a 20 MW vPPA for Elemental’s East Strathmore Solar Project. The 26MW project is located on Least Conflict Lands within Wheatland County east of Calgary. This is land designated as an area of low ecology, agricultural, cultural or scenic value.
Nova Scotia’s Green Choice program has released the latest draft of its Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for applicants who wish to aggregate with other buyers to meet the 10,000 MWh minimum. Applicants will include the MOA with an Expression of Interest, which will drive interest in new development for renewables in the province. Find more information on the Green Choice website.