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WHAT TO DO
How to Invest in Green Power
Consumers have power – spending power – and they can
use this power to drive the development of Green Power in their
communities and across Canada. Here are some options.
BUY IT
Find out what your local utility is offering in the Green Power
field. The How to Buy Green Power section
of this guide contains province-by-province details of the Green
Power bundles and Green Power certificates packages. However,
more utilities are joining the renewable energy market all the
time and you should check with your utility if you do not see
it listed. By registering your interest, you will also be helping
to persuade your utility to get on board if it is not already.
BUY SHARES IN IT
Because of the current structure of the Canadian electricity sector,
the small investor has little chance of investing in large-scale
renewable energy generation or distribution. However, there are
some options for investing in Green Power. See our section on How
to Buy Shares in Green Power for more information.
GENERATE IT
Investigate options for generating electricity at your home, business
or cottage. Over the past decade, small-scale renewable energy technologies
have not only become more efficient, but also more affordable and
accessible. With the spread of net metering, the dream of a vast,
decentralized network of Green Power consumer-generators draws closer
to reality.
See our section on How to Generate Your Own
Green Power for more information.
You can also download RETScreen
software to assess the feasibility of renewable energy installations
in any region of Canada.
Remember, however, that the most cost-effective household energy
investment is energy–efficiency – insulation, double-glazed
windows, a high-efficiency heating system and appliances. An energy
audit of your home will identify areas for improvement and savings.
One such service is Natural Resources Canada's EnerGuide
for Houses.
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How to Buy Shares in Green Power
Canadian Hydro
Publicly
listed (KHD:TSX)
Canadian Hydro
is a developer, owner, and operator of 19 renewable energy generation
facilities totaling net 265 MW in operation, with an additional 402 MW
nearing construction. The renewable generation portfolio is diversified
across three technologies (water, wind, and biomass) in the provinces of
British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. This portfolio is unique in
Canada as all facilities are certified, or slated for certification,
under Environment Canada’s EcoLogoM
Program.
Green Power Co-operatives
Toronto's
Windshare project is an example of how community organizations can
help to drive the transition to Green Power.
WindShare
was developed by the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative to
provide an opportunity for citizens to generate Green Power in the
province's new deregulated electricity marketplace.
The first
turbine, situated at Exhibition Place on Toronto's waterfront, started
generating power early in 2003. Built in a 50/50 partnership with
Toronto Hydro, the ExPlace installation is the first utility-scale
turbine in an urban environment in North America. The Windshare Co-op
and Toronto Hydro share equal responsibility for development, capital
costs, operation/maintenance, decommissioning and all contractual
agreements related to the project. Windshare has more than 400 members
who invested in the ExPlace wind turbine.
WindShare is
pleased to announce a second community wind power project entitled
Lakewind. Lakewind is a partnership between WindShare and the
Countryside Energy Coop based in the rural community of Milverton,
Ontario. Lakewind's first project is a 10 MW community-owned wind farm
sited outside of Kincardine. A membership offering to support the new
project will launch in 2007.
The WindShare
project is intended to profile wind power as a solution to smog and
global climate change and to demonstrate that community-based
initiatives can be an important component of Green Power development.
The Windshare
approach is modeled on the experience of Denmark, where wind turbine
manufacturing is the country's top export and wind power co-ops are a
nationwide movement with more than 100,000 member families. More than
one-quarter of Denmark's turbines are owned by co-ops. Danes anticipate
50% of their electricity will come from wind by 2030. Other Canadian
municipalities are currently exploring the feasibility of setting up
cooperatives to own and operate wind farms, with members of the
community owning equity shares.
For information about
community green power co-operatives across Ontario, check the Ontario
Sustainable Energy Association website (www.ontario-sea.org).
Clean Power Income Fund
The Clean Power Income Fund was established in 2001 to provide
stable, long-term cash flow to investors from the environmentally
preferred generation of electricity. The Fund invests only in power
generating assets that use renewable energy sources such as water,
wind, wood waste and landfill gas. Clean Power is the first income
fund to be certified under Canada's Environmental ChoiceM
Program. Clean Power Income Fund voting units are listed on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CLE.UN. The units are qualified
investments for all registered investment plans in Canada. More
information can be obtained from the Clean
Power Investment Fund.
Socially Responsible Investment
Investors seeking to channel money into Green Power development
may find opportunities in one or more of the Socially Responsible
Investment (SRI) funds, also known as Ethical Funds, which screen
their investments to ensure that they integrate social responsibility
and environmental sustainability. The Social
Investment Organization has information about some of the Canadian
offerings.
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