Advertisement 1

Conversations That Matter: Who will build renewable energy?

Article content

The energy transition has been underway for more than 25 years. Solar, wind, run of river and geothermal are all energy sources that hold promise in our determination to move away from fossil fuels.

Interestingly, utility companies are not building them, rather they are turning to the private sector as suppliers.

That means private enterprises are taking the risks, they’re buying or leasing the land, building the power sources, maintaining them and carrying the debt for decades. The costs are significant and the investment is not for the faint of heart.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content
Article content

A solar power plant regularly includes 45,000 or more panels, while a wind turbine costs between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. Add in the cost of running transmission lines to the grid and run-of-river projects can easily run into the millions of dollars.

These are investment decisions that regularly are shaded with the desire to invest in a healthier planet.

Many people consider geothermal the holy grail of renewable energy. But such projects are hugely expensive. For independent companies, the payback takes too long.

The women and men who venture into the renewable energy sector are brave and they are devoted to ensuring we have power sources that will reduce the impact on Mother Earth.

We invited Jamie Houssian of Elemental Energy to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the business of renewable energy.

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge here goo.gl/ypXyDs

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Latest National Stories
    This Week in Flyers