Purchase of Carbon Offsets
Just two and a half years after Alberta Government regulation set a 12% greenhouse gas emission reduction target for large emitters, ENMAX Energy has made considerable strides in cost effectively meeting its reduction targets through the use of greenhouse gas offsets.
ENMAX Energy addresses the emissions produced in 2009 by our Keephills PPA and the Calgary Energy Centre through the use of offsets, essentially countering 1.2 million tonnes of emissions.
ENMAX Energy procures its offsets from several offset providers, with its primary source being a 10-year agricultural offset agreement with Viterra Inc., signed in November 2008.
Viterra aggregates greenhouse gas offsets from Alberta farmers who practice no-till or reduced-till farming methods. This is made possible through an Alberta Government-approved protocol, which recognizes the reduction of greenhouse gases, namely nitrous oxide, through no-till or reduced-till farming. ENMAX also uses unsold environmental attributes from its wind farms to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Offsets have increased from 220,000 tonnes in 2007 to 1.2 million tonnes in 2009. As a result, ENMAX has saved $11 million in compliance costs over the past two and a half years, while offsetting 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.