First unsubsidised solar in Canada

Mountain road in SW Alberta

Solar is cost effective in Alaska.  OK.  But there it's competing with  costly diesel flown in by DC-6.  But unsubsidised solar in Canada?   Electricity prices in Canada are relatively low, thanks to extensive hydro resources.  Yet unsubsidised solar is still possible.

After receiving its cheapest bids for large-scale solar under a public tender a week ago, the Canadian province of Alberta is now ready to host two unsubsidized solar parks with a combined capacity of 57 MW. The developer, German renewable energy company Innogy – a unit of Germany’s energy giant RWE – is in talks with local off-takers about signing a PPA.

In a statement to pv magazine, Innogy said its aim is to sign a long-term power purchase agreement for the projects and its commercial team is working intensely on that with confirmed interest from potential off-takers. The possibility of selling power to the spot market is being considered a fallback option if private PPAs do not materialize, Innogy said, adding: “We are confident that the projects are profitable either way.”

In a previous statement, Innogy had said it intended to complete construction this year. The plants – Prairie Sunlight II and III – will have capacities of 30 MW and 27 MW, respectively, and will be near the town of Vauxhall, in southern Alberta.

[Read more here]

Since Canada has so much hydro, "firming" the output from solar will be easy, whereas in places with no hydro, batteries are essential.

These are small solar farms as things go.  But the key point, though, is this: they are unsubsidised.  And that must send shivers up the spines of fossil fuel executives, everywhere.