Eight months after Alberta lifted its moratorium on new large wind and solar projects, investment remains stagnant as companies opt to invest in other provinces. The sector is burdened not only by the lingering effects of the moratorium but also by ongoing uncertainties from the province’s electricity system restructuring.
“It’s a continuous wave of uncertainty and market challenges,” said Sol Hutson, general manager of Nextracker, at the Electricity Transformation Canada conference in Calgary. “When businesses face such uncertainties, they tend to withdraw and seek investment opportunities elsewhere.”
Last year saw about 1,000 megawatts of new wind farm projects announced in Alberta, but only 50 megawatts have been announced this year, according to Jeff Fuchs, a senior vice-president with Vestas, a global wind turbine manufacturer operating in all provinces.
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