Member Newsletter (Mar. 2022)
2022 is off to a great start with two new PPA deals signed already, including one involving BRC-Canada member Evolugen! Construction of renewable energy projects is also reaching some exciting milestones, with two new projects wrapping up this month - both involving BRC-Canada developers and buyers. Read more in the Market News section below for the details! This month’s newsletter brings some important updates about our spring event programming, including in-person Buyers’ Breakfasts in Vancouver and Toronto and our annual Buyers’ Bootcamp, set to run online from April 7-8th. Be sure to register and secure your spot! Our team is also excited to see growing recognition for Alberta’s PPA boom last month, including a market spotlight from the Canadian Energy Regulator and media coverage from Radio-Canada and Energi Media. As our March 2nd webinar made clear, we are living in the “PPA moment” today in Alberta - thank you to all our members for creating this incredible momentum.
NEWS & UPDATES
Meeting the PPA Moment in Alberta
On March 2nd, we held our first event of the year: an overview of PPAs and aggregation with Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon (University of Calgary) and Mark Porter (Clean Energy Buyers Association). Participants also had the chance to network in concurrent breakout sessions for both beginner and experienced groups. We were pleased to see over 90 attendees join us for the whole session and a lively Q&A in the Zoom chat – thank you to all who participated!
BRCC's Website is Getting a Facelift!
To help make the BRC-Canada website more user-friendly we are making a few changes. The main change members need to be aware of is that the resources in the members’ portal will be moved into a general, main resource hub for a one-stop-shop. The members-only resources will still need a BRC login for access. Stay tuned for the big reveal!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Registration for more of our spring events are now available – and they include in-person programming! We are excited to see you all face-to-face, and we hope all BRC members will be able to make and reinvigorate valuable connections in our community.
Buyers' Breakfast at GLOBE Forum
Mar. 30 | 7:15 am – 8:30am PST | Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel
A light breakfast and informational event for organizations looking to secure their electricity from renewable sources.
More information and registration here.
Buyers' Bootcamp
April 7-8 | 9:30am – 4:30pm MST | Webinar
An in-depth, interactive learning experience for energy buyers covering the fundamentals of PPAs, from risk assessment to pitching to your CFO.
More information and registration here.
Buyers' Breakfast at unGALA
June 10 | 8:00 am – 9:30am EST | Distillery District, Toronto
A light breakfast and informational event for organizations looking to secure their electricity from renewable sources.
More information and registration here.
MARKET NEWS
Two PPAs in only two days February was an exciting month for PPA deals, with two deals announced back-to-back. Lafarge and TransAlta announced a new PPA that will supply 100 GWh/year of wind power to the Exshaw cement plant, and the next day BRC-Canada member Evolugen signed a PPA with Scotiabank for all the electricity coming out of a new 40 MW solar project near Cardston, AB.
Canadian Energy Regulator spotlights Alberta's PPA successes In the CER’s latest market snapshot, they highlight the quick pace of renewable energy growth in Alberta backed by corporate PPAs. The CER’s report is not comprehensive (more information on Alberta’s PPAs can be found in the BRC-Canada Deal Tracker), but we are nonetheless encouraged to see this recognition of Alberta’s evolving electricity system and the key role PPAs are playing!
Construction completed on two new renewable energy projects in Alberta Congratulations to BRC-Canada members RES Group for their Rattlesnake Ridge wind project and Greengate Power for their Travers solar project! Both projects have buyers in the BRC-Canada community as well: TELUS has an 80 MW offtake deal from RES Group, and Amazon a 375 MW offtake deal with Greengate. The new projects will add a combined 530 MW to AESO’s current supply list for 2022.
HEADLINES
- Scotiabank and Evolugen announce 15-year renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement | Cision Newswire
- Alberta leading the wind and solar revolution | Energi Media | Interview with Nagwan Al-Guneid, BRC-Canada director
- With growing corporate demand and progressive policies, Canada could be the next big thing for renewables | Edison Energy | Interview with Jeremy Barretto, BRC-Canada advisory board member
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Hive Energy
Hive Energy is an international renewable energy developer that operates within 22 countries. Starting its operations in Alberta in 2021, Hive aims to invest in development of over 1,500 MW of solar photovoltaic projects and also increase its global Green H2/Ammonia portfolio in Canada. Globally, Hive has deployed over £1.6 billion in clean energy projects, saving 2,135,237 tonnes of CO2 in 2021 alone!
To learn more about the amazing work being done by Hive Energy, visit their website.