Pembina Institute's Renewable Energy News

It’s time to speak out for nature and democracy (blog)

Ed Whittingham — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:39 +0000

Grassroots campaigning is not something that comes naturally to us here at the Pembina Institute. But the level of public discourse over energy issues and environmental protection in this country has sunk so low over the past few months that even Canadians who are well informed have just cause to wonder who to believe.

The Pembina Institute supports new multimedia series (media release)

David Dodge — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

This week marks the launch of a new multimedia series, Green Energy Futures. With 80 episodes planned over the next two years, this multimedia web channel is designed to help Canadians understand and embrace clean energy.

Rising electricity prices have little to do with renewable energy (op-ed)

Tim Weis — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

While spring in Ontario has yet to bring much rain, there’s been no shortage of mudslinging over rising electricity prices. While there’s more to these changes than critics of renewable energy would you have you believe, new data helps to clarify how recent prices have more to do with nuclear than with clean energy programs.

Pembina reacts to announcement that Pioneer Carbon Capture and Storage project will not proceed (media release)

Chris Severson-Baker, Kevin Sauvé — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Chris Severson-Baker, Managing Director of the Pembina Institute, made the following comments in response to TransAlta’s announcement that the Pioneer Carbon Capture and Storage project will not proceed.

Pembina reacts to Ontario’s feed-in tariff review (media release)

Tim Weis — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Tim Weis, director of the Pembina Institute’s renewable energy and efficiency policy program, made the following comments in response to Ontario’s feed-in tariff review.

Pembina Institute available to comment on joint announcement between Nova Scotia and Government of Canada (media release)

Tim Weis — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Tim Weis, director of renewable energy and efficiency policy at the Pembina Institute, will be available to comment Monday on a joint announcement by the federal government and the province of Nova Scotia on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon tax review could lead to better future for B.C. (op-ed)

Matt Horne, Ian Bruce, Merran Smith — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The announcement of a pending review of the carbon tax provides an opportunity to build a better B.C.

Clean energy also needs political focus (op-ed)

Tim Weis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Canada is quietly emerging as a renewable energy leader, but it will take the same political focus currently being put toward oilsands to ensure we retain and grow the jobs that are being created in the country's emerging clean energy sector.

Pembina reacts to the release of British Columbia’s Natural Gas Strategy (media release)

Matt Horne — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Matt Horne, director of the Pembina Institute’s climate change program, made the following statement in response to the release of British Columbia’s Natural Gas Strategy.

Helping Calgary meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets (blog)

Jesse Row — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:35:42 +0000

Recently, Calgary City Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of adopting its first citywide greenhouse gas plan. The plan aims to reduce the city’s emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, and 80 per cent by 2050, below 2005 levels and I’m thrilled to say that the Pembina Institute’s community services consulting group helped to write it.

Carbon pricing and Canada’s New West Partnership: An $8 billion opportunity (blog)

Matt Horne — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:28:30 +0000

The premiers of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have pledged to meet with the federal government to discuss a national energy strategy and the related issue of regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Before that meeting happens, let’s examine their efforts to price carbon, a critical component of any cost-effective approach to dealing with climate change.

CLEAN Cities (publication)

Tim Weis, Benjamin Thibault — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Utility franchise fees can be used to enable cities to develop local CLEAN contracts, the world’s most successful renewable energy policies.

CLEAN power for cities combines economics with environment (blog)

Ben Thibault — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:06:52 +0000

The truth about our funding (blog)

Ed Whittingham — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:01:20 +0000

An open letter from the Pembina Institute to Canadians

Dear friends,

As you may have noticed, the Harper government and the “Ethical Oil Inc” front group have been working to discredit groups like the Pembina Institute and our work on energy issues by claiming that we are a “foreign-funded,” “radical” organization advocating against the best interests of Canadians.

Allow us to set the record straight.

Ontario Feed-in-Tariff: 2011 Review (publication)

Tim Weis, Paul Gipe, Green Energy Act Alliance, Shine ONtario — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

In response to the government's two-year feed-in tariff (FIT) review process, the Green Energy Act Alliance and Shine Ontario Association have joined forces to present a clear path for renewable energy in Ontario.

Attacks on environmental group supporters are disingenuous and disturbing (blog)

Ed Whittingham — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:41:37 +0000

Yesterday the reputation of the Pembina Institute and that of the British government was attacked in a column by Kathryn Marshall, a professional oilsands booster. It doesn’t seem too much to ask of someone who regularly writes commentary in the news media to do a little fact checking. However, this basic journalistic standard appears to have escaped Marshall, as her commentary repeats many misleading or downright false statements about the Pembina Institute and the nature of our work.

Looking to Canada’s economic past for wisdom on climate change (op-ed)

Matt Horne — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Recommendations to weaken the B.C. carbon tax would be a step backwards (blog)

Matt Horne — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:48:39 +0000

Working on climate change issues can be challenging, especially when you compare what climate scientists say needs to be done with what politicians are (or are not) doing. Tuesday was a particularly challenging day. That's when the British Columbia Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services released 75 recommendations for the 2012 B.C. budget, five of which discuss B.C.'s carbon tax and cap-and-trade rules and convey little interest in building on the positive steps already taken to address climate change in the province.

Pembina Institute Comments on Canada’s Proposed Reduction of Carbon Dioxide from Coal-fired Generation of Electricity Regulations (publication)

Matt Horne, Tim Weis, P.J. Partington — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Coal power is one of the worst contributors to global climate change, air pollution, acid rain precursors and atmospheric mercury emissions. Yet, in Canada, coal accounts for the majority of electricity generation in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia and is significant in both Ontario and New Brunswick.

Several provinces have taken strong leadership roles in tackling coal power, however, and federal limits for industrial GHGs should support and supplement this action, with an emphasis on achieving national and international commitments.

These are the Pembina Institute's comments and recommendations for Canada's proposed Reduction of Carbon Dioxide from Coal-fired Generation of Electricity Regulations.

Fact: Green energy is good for Ontario (blog)

Cherise Burda — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:56:29 +0000

Ontarians head to the polls on Thursday to elect the next provincial government, at the close of an election campaign where green energy has emerged as a hot-button issue. As the rhetoric has escalated on all sides of the debate, Ontario voters have also had to wade through a great deal of misinformation about their energy options.