New Brunswick Renewable Portfolio Standard

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires electricity providers to obtain a minimum percentage of their electricity supply from eligible renewable energy sources by a certain date with the required percentage usually increasing over time. An RPS can be voluntary or mandatory. Mandatory RPSs include penalties for non-compliance. On July 27, 2006, New Brunswick introduced a mandatory RPS through regulation 2006-58 under the Electricity Act, which requires standard service providers, e.g. New Brunswick Power, to obtain an additional 10 percent of their electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2016. There is no lead time, but gradually the RPS target increases from 1% in 2007 to 10% in 2016. There is no minimum price in place and no limit for the size of the generating facility. Eligible renewable energy sources shall be EcoLogoTM certified under the Environmental Choice Program. The eligible electricity generating facilities must be new, i.e. commissioned after April 1, 2001, be grid-connected, and be located in the province. The province retains all environmental attributes associated with the green electricity generated as a compliance with RPS targets. New Brunswick RPS does not include any penalty for non-compliance; however, if in any given year, the RPS target is not achieved, a generator has an additional period of maximum of 3 years to comply.

Want to know more about this policy ? Learn more