Alberta talks up free enterprise, but its treatment of renewable energy tells a very different story

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SkyFire Energy Inc., one of Alberta’s most successful solar startups, announced a major acquisition last week that highlights a stark reality: Alberta government policy is actively driving renewable energy investment out of the province.

While the deal bodes well for SkyFire’s future, it speaks volumes about an investment climate shaped by a government that says it champions free enterprise while systematically discouraging renewable energy development.

SkyFire has purchased Hakai Energy Solutions, a British Columbia-based renewable energy company known for residential and commercial grid-tied solar, and large remote off-grid solar installations.

The acquisition extends SkyFire’s reach across Vancouver, Vancouver Island, coastal British Columbia and remote communities. Each of the estimated total of 200 employees will be an owner of the consolidated companies.

Once a leader in renewable development, Alberta is now watching jobs and capital flow to other provinces.
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SkyFire’s CEO, David Vonesh, said the number and magnitude of regulatory changes by the Alberta government are driving investment out of the province. “There really just isn’t any desire for [large-scale] solar projects to be built in Alberta anymore.”

Disincentives include a seven-month moratorium on renewable project approvals, banning projects from certain classes of agricultural lands and within 35........

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