Green Energy Futures

PART 1 - Summerside like the province of PEI had no energy production except expensive backup diesel generators just a decade or so ago. Something had to change. So in an amazing transformation, they set up their own utility, built a wind farm in the city, installed a smart grid and thermal energy storing appliances and got to 42-46% renewable energy, all produced locally. And they didn't stop there, learn more in part 2. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

This sounds counterintuitive, but a new study has found Electric Vehicles (EVs) are driving the price of electricity down and increasing net profits for utilities. Thanks to time-of-use pricing EV owners are shifting their charging habits to non-peak times thus making much more efficient use of existing grid resources. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Video Podcast

Mitchell Beer started The Energy Mix, a media service dedicated to covering climate change 10 years ago long before the conventional media took it seriously. We talk to Beer about climate change, journalism, and his media service which has published 30,000 stories on climate change and climate solutons. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

EVs produce fewer lifecycle emissions than ICE vehicles in countries with dirty grids or clean grids. A study looked at emissions in five countries including China, the US, UK, Germany and Japan and found EVs produce much lower emissions throughout the life of the vehicle. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

In part 2 of our series on Alberta's new renewable energy rules we learn that 57 projects worth $14 billion are potentially at risk. We talk to Jason Wang of the Pembina Institute which just prepared a map overlay showing the potential impact of new restrictions. We also talk to Vittoria Bellissimo of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association about changes that are coming to the structure of the electricity market in Alberta. Bottom line is uncertainty abounds for Alberta's formerly booming renewable energy industry. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast See our website for the full story.

At first glance, new rules for renewable energy development in Alberta seemed ready to block renewable energy from most of the province. Two weeks on some clarifications have been announced. We talk to Vittoria Bellissimo with the Canadian Renewable Energy Association about restrictions on agricultural land, near so-called "pristine viewscapes" and protected areas. Spoiler alert industry observers worry investment will plummet in an industry with billions in investments planned last year. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast See our website for the full story.

Ciel & Terre is making a splash with floating solar having installed more than 300 projects around the world. It costs just a little more than mounted solar but its helping utilities, companies and municipalities generate renewable energy where there is no land or roof space. We talk to Chris Bartle of Ciel & Terre US about this growing industry. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

Alberta lifted it's six-month moratorium on renewable energy projects but some critics say new rules amount to a defacto moratorium. This is ironic since Alberta had a booming industry with up to $33 billion in projects under development at the time of the moratorium. We talk to renewable energy expert Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon of the University of Calgary about the new rules and the impacts they may have on the renewable energy industry in Alberta. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

Part 2 in Green Energy Futures' series on RenuWell, the idea of transforming abandoned oil wells into small solar farms. In this episode, we talk to Trevor Helwig of St. Mary River Irrigation District, the owner of the two RenuWell solar pilot projects. Irrigation and solar are a good match since they both work hardest when the sun shines. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

Of the 466,000 oil and gas wells in Alberta on third are active and 170,000 are suspended or abandoned. What to do? Keith Hirsche was a farm kid from Taber, Alberta and his company RenuWell wrapped up two pilot projects to transform a couple of long-abandoned well sites into small solar farms which are now owned by St. Mary's Irrigation District. We visit the sites with Daryl Bennett from RenuWell and discover one of the most amazing examples of energy transition anywhere. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast In part 2 we talk to Trevor Hellwig of St. Mary's Irrigation District the folks who own these two projects. Turns out solar and irrigation are a perfect match.

The town of Raymond, Alberta was told solar wouldn't work on their buildings in their town in southern Alberta. This didn't sit right with them, so they hired new consultants, installed solar everywhere and became the first community in Canada to achieve net-zero electricity. We talk to Greg Robinson of the Town of Raymond about how they did it. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

Record wildfires, crazy amounts of smoke and poor air quality, droughts, and floods - municipalities are experiencing the impacts of climate change in a big way. Cutting emissions is very important to prevent even worse impacts, but what is a small town or municipality to do to adapt to and avoid some of the bigger impacts of climate change? The Municipal Climate Change Action Centre in Alberta knows this so they created a program that has helped fund 26 communities to assess their climate risks and create climate adaptation plans. We head to Pincher Creek, Alberta to see how they are dealing with wildfires, drought and ironically floods as well. GreenEnergyFutures.ca Video GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast Municipalities taking action on climate change series - Part III

Many small towns and municipalities want to do energy efficiency projects or install solar and save money, but most have neither the money, expertise or the capacity to figure it all out. The Municipal Climate Change Action Centre in Alberta knows this so they created a program that has helped small towns and municipalities hire 26 energy managers that are doing just what they should. This week we travel to Leduc, Alberta where we will meet up with Nathan Schaper the energy manager there who saved $40,000 in his first weeks of work. Green Energy Futures CKUA.com Podcast Part II in

This week we head off to three small towns: Pincher Creek, Raymond and Leduc Alberta to learn about what they are doing to take climate action. We find them embracing energy efficiency, solar, electric vehicles and climate adaptation actions and it's all thanks to support from a little-known organization called the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

You may not have heard of the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), but you may have seen their work. They have helped more than 150 communities in Alberta complete 878 climate actions including energy efficiency, installing EV chargers, solar, and electric vehicles and even climate risk assessments and resiliency plans for towns. We talk to founder Bob Hawkesworth and the current executive director, Trina Innes of the MCCAC. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

How energy storage can be used to get the grid to net-zero using mostly existing infrastructure. For folks who want to preserve the old centralized grid, the sky is falling. However according to James Bererton an expert in low-carbon energy we can get fossil fuel-based grids like Alberta's most of the way to net-zero using current infrastructure, energy storage, microgrids and and existing technology. Oh, and we can save money too! GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

Decentralised Energy Canada is 20 years old. We talk to innovator and founder Anouk Kendall about how her organization went from being an advocate for decentralized energy such as solar that didn't exist then to today when its members represent billions in revenue and are busy building the resilient and affordable decentralized electricity grid of the future. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

Heat pumps are the future of heating and cooling. We found them heating and cooling in net-zero homes, in water heaters and clothes dryers and now there are models rated to -35C. The reasons are quite simple: they are incredibly energy efficient, and since they run on electricity it's pretty easy to run them and produce few or no emissions. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

The Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative in Canmore, Alberta has just wrapped up its fourth solar project in just a few years. This is blazing fast progress for green energy cooperatives in Canada that must navigate a network of challenging provincial electrical systems. We talk to Jeff Roberts about the coops success getting started in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta.

FULL INTERVIEW - We sit down with Richard Allen, the chair of United Hydrogen, a conglomerate of 37 hydrogen companies working together to bring to market hydrogen solutions on the road the net-zero. We talk about the role, advantages and challenges of using hydrogen to reduce emissions in transport, buildings and industry. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast