Canmore council voted recently to purchase renewable energy certificates for 100 per cent of the Town’s electrical consumption.
However, Councillors Joanna McCallum and Hans Helder voted against the motion as they felt buying certificates (RECs) for a P.E.I. windfarm wasn’t the right direction to go in even though it is a goal set out in the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.
Helder said purchasing REC certificates offsets the Town’s actions and makes council feel better, but doesn’t actually provide any incentive to the community to consume less power.
“I have never been a keen supporter of this just because it is almost like a semantic discussion; there really isn’t any green power actually being achieved,” he said. “I would be much more inclined to support something that actively engages our community.”
McCallum called RECs a form of greenwashing and said she would consider voting for the motion if there were also real green energy projects for the community proposed.
Canmore began purchasing renewable energy certificates in 2010 to cover 25 per cent of the municipality’s total electrical consumption. Soon after, council voted to buy 60 per cent in green power.
That purchasing agreement with Nexen, through the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, will end in December this year, and the Town issued a request for proposals for a new REC purchaser in February.
Gary Buxton, senior manager of municipal infrastructure, said six proposals were received and administration recommended Blue Source Canada and the 100 per cent REC purchase.
With the new municipal energy contract in place with ENMAX from 2014-17, he said the Town expects to save $330,000 in electrical costs, and with the REC purchase there is still a savings of $300,000.
Mayor John Borrowman supported the green purchase as more than just a feel good motion by council.
“It is a global issue that we are dealing with and I understand and I believe it to be true, that by purchasing RECs we are supporting future renewable energy projects,” Borrowman said.
Administration did not recommend pursuing a program for reducing community greenhouse gases (GHG) that was also put out to RFP. Instead, according to the staff report, administration intends to propose funds in the 2014 budget to develop a community GHG reduction program to be administered through the sustainability coordinator.
