The 2011 Green Options Partners Program is now closed. We are reviewing the program criteria and expect to make an announcement regarding the 2012 program by the end of April.
Application requirements
A Green Options Partners Program lottery will be held each year. Applicants selected in the quota lottery are eligible to proceed further in the program. Selection in the quota lottery commits the applicant to proceeding with a Generator Interconnection Feasibility Study (Feasibility Study). It does not commit either the applicant or SaskPower to proceeding to a Power Purchase Agreement or a Generator Interconnection Agreement.
- A lottery process will be used to initially select applicants into the program.Applications may be submitted after the lottery until December 31, 2011 until the program caps have been reached
- Applicants must submit a certified cheque with their application to cover the cost of a Feasibility Study (if selected)
- Unselected and incomplete applications will be rejected and returned with the certified cheque to the applicants
- Applicants must provide evidence that they are either the registered owner of the land or site in question or have a leasehold interest or other access rights necessary to complete the proposed project (see application form for further details)
- General Process Flowchart: This flowchart provides a visual representation of the overall process
- SaskPower may publish electronically and in print the name, project size, location and project type for applications selected into the program
Eligibility
- Eligible clean power production projects and facilities must be located within the province of Saskatchewan and be connected to the SaskPower power grid
- The facilities must have an installed generating gross nameplate capacity that falls between 100kW and 10MW
- Projects and facilities that have a previous purchase agreement contract are not eligible for this program, even if the purchase agreement contract was terminated or has expired
- Environmentally preferred technologies must be used
- Flare gas projects will not be allowed in the program if the producers of the flare gas are required to do something with the flare gas that will have roughly the same environmental benefits as if the flare gas were used in the program
- Power projects that increase the power output of existing generation facilities are eligible for this program. Only the power output generated by the new facilities is eligible for the program, and only if the new facilities use the same environmentally preferred technology to produce power as the existing facility
- Successful applicants cannot change generation technology after the Feasibility Study is completed
- Projects will not be eligible if they are located within any 'Wind Power Facility - Requests for Proposals - Inquiry CO/690' proponents designated project boundaries
Contract terms and pricing
- A standard Power Purchase Agreement and Generator Interconnection Agreement will be entered into between SaskPower and the suppliers
- Terms and conditions in the Power Purchase Agreement
- The standard Power Purchase is a 20-year contract and is based on published prices that include an allowance for environmental emission credits
- Low-impact hydroelectric projects have term options up to 40 years
- Hydroelectric projects have eight years to reach commercial production. All other projects have three years to reach commercial production. Hydroelectric power projects typically take longer to build and last longer than other power generation facilities
- Initial contract rate will be the lesser of the rate corresponding to target commercial operation date and the rate corresponding to the actual commercial operation date
- Payment will escalate annually at a fixed published rate
- We may require suppliers to environmentally certify their output, but we will reimburse the supplier's reasonable costs to do so
- All environmental credits shall become the property of SaskPower
- Applicants must obtain all necessary permits and licences
- Suppliers will be allowed to assign Power Purchase Agreement and Generator Interconnection Agreement duties and obligations to other parties with SaskPower approval
- Any pricing modifications to the program will only be for newly signed contracts and will not be retroactive and will not amend executed contracts
- SaskPower is currently reviewing whether changes can be made to its contracts to allow power producers who use flare gas to move their generator(s) during the term of their contracts. Results of this review will be posted on this page of the website in the near future
Metering requirements and payment
- Suppliers shall furnish, install and maintain the metering equipment
- Contract payments will be based on the electricity delivered to the point of change of ownership
Project types
- Projects can take advantage of used or refurbished equipment, as long as the project adheres to quality engineering and operating practices
- Multiple applications may be submitted. Each application will have its own designated project location, interconnection and power meter
- Projects, when aggregated, can exceed 10MW
