opinion: in alberta, solar energy is at a tipping point - solar energy traffic lights

The low point announced on Friday-
Cost Solar is a clear signal for Albertans that the world is changing.
The sun in Alberta has risen.
This shift to the sun is not a distant value;
It is becoming the norm.
In 2017, the pattern of wind energy in Alberta changed, and Alberta power system operators announced that they would purchase wind energy for about three years.
7 cents per kilowatt
Hours, which is less than any residential fixed-price retail electricity contract offered by the province today.
The Alberta solar model also changed on Friday, and the opportunity for this growing industry cannot be underestimated.
Global investments in solar energy in 2018 amounted to approximately $125 billion, with investments in all renewable energy exceeding $300 billion.
These governments
Supported procurement has attracted the attention of global investors and has attracted some of the world's largest power companies to the Alberta market.
With financiers calling for access to the Alberta renewable energy market, the investor sentiment for renewable energy in Alberta has never been so strong.
Not only are investors eager to support renewable energy, but a wide variety of companies now cherish the opportunity to buy renewable energy in Alberta.
Last year alone, American companiesS.
About 6 people signed.
5 GW of renewable energy.
This figure accounts for nearly half of Alberta's power plant capacity.
On a global scale, hundreds of companies have set and achieved the goal of 100 renewable energy --powered.
Even two weeks ago Budweiser used their most expensive air time, a Super Bowl ad, to share that their production facility has transitioned to wind energy.
Tech giants like Apple and Google have made similar promises.
Closer to home, we continue to see a further diversified portfolio of key players in Alberta's oil and gas industry, including renewable projects --
I know that Greengate has developed and sold the largest wind farm in Alberta at present-Enbridge.
While the benefits of marketing are obvious, the cost of buying renewable energy for businesses exceeds the headlines.
There are three reasons for buying renewable energy.
Fold: no company will buy renewable energy to help them sleep at night, which is a decision that will help make a profit.
In addition to wind, solar, oil and gas, Alberta has another unique resource that attracts buyers across North America: A deregulated electricity market.
Alberta's unique market structure is easier to sign up for than the monopoly market around us.
Alberta, with its amazing fossil fuel resources, has been leading the province's economic boom for decades.
They are an important economic driver for Canada.
But it should also be known that Alberta is home to the world.
With global investment and innovation driving renewable energy costs to an unprecedented low, wind and solar resources are becoming increasingly accessible.
Don't let cold temperatures fool you
Alberta is the Sunshine State in the north.
We are the ideal gateway for companies that want to buy renewable energy in the most efficient way possible.
As the only province where the electricity market is deregulated, Alberta is uniquely prepared to take advantage of the needs of companies such as Budweiser in the hope of upgrading their brands and reducing carbon exposure and locking --in fuel-free pricing.
In order to build an economically and ecologically sustainable future, Alberta will need to complement each other by relying on our fossil fuels and renewable energy peers.
It's time for solar energy to shine.
Dan Balaban is president and CEO of Greengate Power, a Canadian energy company that focuses on renewable energy.
Over the past decade, Greengate Power has successfully developed more than 450 MW of wind energy in Alberta, representing-
Ranked third in the province's wind energy production, with an investment of about $1 billion.
Looking ahead, as the province continues to move towards low Power, Greengate Power is developing more than 1 GW of wind and solar projects in Alberta
Cost and emissions
Free energy.