Japan/Canada in clean energy dispute
The Japanese mission to the WTO said the dispute centres on guaranteed long-term pricing for solar and wind generators made with a certain percentage of locally produced components.
Ontario, CanadaÂ’s most populous province, launched an incentive program for renewable energy producers last October, aiming to create jobs and eliminate coal-fired power generators.
Tokyo believes that the pricing guarantees offered by Ontario in the wind and solar sectors constitute subsidies that violate CanadaÂ’s obligations under international trade law.
The request for consultations by Tokyo is the first step in a WTO dispute. If the two sides do not reach an agreement on their own, a WTO panel would be set up to arbitrate the dispute in a process that could eventually lead to retaliation.
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Alberta set to retire coal power by 2023, ahead of 2030 provincial deadline
CALGARY - Alberta is set to meet its goal to eliminate coal-fired electricity production years earlier than its 2030 target, thanks to recently announced utility conversion projects.
Capital Power Corp.’s plan to spend nearly $1 billion to switch two coal-fired power units west of Edmonton to natural gas, and stop using coal entirely by 2023, was welcomed by both the province and the Pembina Institute environmental think-tank.
In 2014, 55 per cent of Alberta’s electricity was produced from 18 coal-fired generators. The Alberta government announced in 2015 it would eliminate emissions from coal power generation by 2030.
Dale Nally, associate minister of Natural…
