Spotlight on renewable energy in Alberta and Saskatchewan

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and Hannover Fairs Canada announced the conference program for the CanWEA Annual Conference and Exhibition. In addition to highlighting innovations and business opportunities in Canada’s wind energy market, the conference focuses on renewable energy and climate change initiatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. CanWEA runs 1–3 November 2016 at the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta’s largest city.

The topics for 2016 are:

• Maximizing value through asset management

• Innovation: Integration and interconnection into the grid

• Social aspects of wind development for emerging markets

• Latest advances in resource assessment

• Future potential of wind energy storage

• Industry initiatives to protect wildlife

Alberta has committed to eliminating all pollution from coal-fired generation by 2030 as well as generating 30 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources. The province currently ranks third in Canada with an installed wind energy capacity of 1,500 megawatts, and wind energy is expected to account for the majority of its future renewable energy development. In the same time frame, SaskPower, Saskatchewan’s principal electric utility, wants to procure 1,600 megawatts of new wind energy as part of a broader plan to boost renewables to 50 percent of the province’s installed electricity generation capacity.

"CanWEA gives the global renewable energy community an in-depth look at Canada’s wind energy market," says Robert Hornung, CanWEA President. "Staging this year’s event in Calgary brings a special focus to Western Canada, where replacing coal-fired electricity with renewable energy will help reach environmental goals, attract investment and create jobs in rural communities."

CanWEA 2016 will also feature a variety of educational sessions. Further information is available at http://windenergyevent.ca. The CanWEA Annual Conference and Exhibition is organized by Hannover Fairs Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Deutsche Messe AG, in partnership with the Canadian Wind Energy Association.