Bill would credit those who generate own energy
The Edmonton Sun|Darcy Henton|September 4, 2006
David Eggen's green energy bill was born and died in one short afternoon in the legislature last week, but he's hoping it will be resurrected one day soon....... He said the change - known as net metering - only requires a simple amendment to allow Albertans to run their electricity meters backwards when they generate more electricity than they use.
David Eggen's green energy bill was born and died in one short afternoon in the legislature last week, but he's hoping it will be resurrected one day soon....... He said the change - known as net metering - only requires a simple amendment to allow Albertans to run their electricity meters backwards when they generate more electricity than they use.
David Eggen's green energy bill was born and died in one short afternoon in the legislature last week, but he's hoping it will be resurrected one day soon.
By the luck of the draw, the NDP energy critic got to table a private member's bill he believes would be welcomed with open arms by electricity consumers.
Bill 218 would have amended the Electric Utilities Act to allow consumers to generate electricity and sell excess power onto the electrical grid.
Eggen said five provinces - Ontario, B.C., Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick - already do it.
"I think it's an idea whose time has come for the province of Alberta."
Eggen won the opportunity to present the bill as a result of a lottery conducted at the beginning of the …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]David Eggen's green energy bill was born and died in one short afternoon in the legislature last week, but he's hoping it will be resurrected one day soon.
By the luck of the draw, the NDP energy critic got to table a private member's bill he believes would be welcomed with open arms by electricity consumers.
Bill 218 would have amended the Electric Utilities Act to allow consumers to generate electricity and sell excess power onto the electrical grid.
Eggen said five provinces - Ontario, B.C., Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick - already do it.
"I think it's an idea whose time has come for the province of Alberta."
Eggen won the opportunity to present the bill as a result of a lottery conducted at the beginning of the session. The bad news was that it came on the last day of the last sitting of the legislature.
"It lived and died in one afternoon, but it's something lots of people would like to see out there," he said. "I'm hoping the (Tory) leadership guys bat it around and I will endeavour to see it come up as a bill next time we meet."
He said the change - known as net metering - only requires a simple amendment to allow Albertans to run their electricity meters backwards when they generate more electricity than they use.
It encourages customers to install small-scale green energy generating devices like solar panels or wind turbines in their homes by crediting them on their utility bill for excess energy they put onto the grid.
He said Ontario plans to allow residents to claim a tax credit for the cost of solar panels, while B.C. Hydro will replace existing meters free of charge with a new one capable of measuring electricity flow in both directions.
Jim Wachowich of the Alberta Consumers Coalition said Alberta Energy has been considering the concept, but hasn't yet taken steps to make it happen. "It's high time the rules of the game caught up to allowing it to happen," he said.
Wachowich said it may be slow in coming because it may not be viewed by producers as a welcome addition to a deregulated and price-driven market.