To take part in one of our generation programs, your facilities must generate environmentally preferred power by one of our eligible power technology options.
Eligible power technologies
- Biomass and biogas – organic materials such as plant matter, agricultural residue, organic waste and energy crops are burned to produce electricity
- Flare gas – solution flare gas that would otherwise be burned off or vented into the atmosphere is captured and used as fuel for turbines
- Heat recovery – waste heat and exhaust that was previously unutilized is captured and used to create electricity
- Low-impact hydro – there are no dams involved; rather the current of the river is diverted into the power plant, used to generate electricity and then returned to the river
- Solar – energy from the sun is converted to electricity
- Turbo expander – converts gas or fluid pressure into mechanical energy
- Wind – the energy provided by wind conditions powers turbines that generate electricity
Criteria for eligible power technologies
Low-impact hydro
- Historic water levels and flow regimes must be maintained with minimal alteration to adjoining natural, upland habitat, fisheries populations and fishery habitat during the construction and operation of the facility
Biomass
- The addition of a biomass or a biogas generating facility must not result in a net increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- Biomass fuel must be derived from a plant and be available on a renewable basis. This includes waste organic material from the harvesting or processing of agricultural products, forestry products and dedicated energy crops grown specifically for their fuel value; and, in the case for electricity generation, may include short rotation woody crops such as poplar trees and herbaceous energy crops
- The organic matter cannot be peat or a peat derivative
- Organic matter shall not contain any treated by-products of manufacturing processes, including chipwood, plywood, painted or varnished wood, pressure treated lumber or wood contaminated with plastics or metals
- Supplementary non-renewable fuels used for start up, combustion, stabilization and low combustion zone temperatures shall not be more than five per cent of total fuel heat input in any calendar year
Biogas
- Biogas must be a gaseous fuel (primarily methane and carbon dioxide) produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic wastes such as landfill sites, sewage treatment plants and anaerobic digestion organic waste processing facilities
- The organic matter shall not include hazardous waste or liquid waste, nor contain any materials that can adversely affect anaerobic processes or cause liquids or solids produced through anaerobic processes to become hazardous waste
- Supplementary non-renewable fuels used for start up, combustion, stabilization and low combustion zone temperatures shall not be more than five per cent of total fuel heat input in any calendar year
Flare gas
- Solution flare gas must be a mixture of hydrocarbon gases that is a by-product in the upstream production of oil and is normally separated from oil and flared as a means of disposal
- The solution flare gas generating facility would not need additional resource use to maintain or enhance the facility
- The addition of the solution flare gas generating facility would not result in a net increase in GHG emissions
Turbo expander
- The mechanical energy is converted to electricity in an electric generator
- To be considered an environmentally preferred technology, any input energy required in the turbo expander process must come from a source that does not result in a net increase on GHG emissions
Waste heat recovery
- The waste heat recovery generating facility cannot require additional resource use to maintain or enhance the facility
- The addition of the waste heat recovery generating facility would not result in a net increase in the GHG emissions
- Includes heat capture for the purpose of electricity generation at sites such as natural gas compressor stations
- New cogeneration projects or combined cycle power plants would not comply with the definition of a waste heat recovery project
We may request details from applicants regarding their proposed facility prior to the initiation of a Generator Interconnection Feasibility Study. We will review this information and determine whether the facility meets the criteria of an environmentally preferred technology.
Have another technology in mind?
All three programs will consider alternative environmentally preferred technologies that are not on the eligible power technologies list. If you are interested in an alternative technology, you will be asked to provide details about the technology that support your request. However, the first step is to contact the program managers at SaskPower.
Inquiries about alternative technologies for the Small Power Producers Program and the Net Metering Program can use the general Contact us form.
If you are interested in an alternative technology for the Green Options Partners Program, then contact the Green Options Partners Program Team.
