At ENMAX, we share the global concern for air quality and climate change. We are actively pursuing ways to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and air contaminants, by:
- Working with stakeholders and governments to find appropriate and meaningful GHG reduction opportunities in our industry and province;
- Building a renewable energy portfolio, which includes wind and run-of-river hydro;
- Envisioning a future where customers will help the environment and save money through new and innovative technologies like smart meters and home-based power generation;
- Working in corporate headquarters which are EcoLogoTM certified – one of the largest such office spaces in Canada;
- Incorporating other programs to measure and reduce GHG for our vehicle fleet and facilities.
ENMAX has tracked emissions from our internal operations since 2004. Sources of emissions include: fleet vehicles, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) – an insulating gas used in equipment – and the combustion of fuels used to generate electricity and heat for our office buildings. In 2007, ENMAX operations generated over 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. The following graph illustrates how ENMAX has reduced our operational emissions year over year, despite our company's rapid growth.
We achieved these reductions by increasing the efficiency of the vehicles in our fleet, implementing an SF6 management program, and making energy saving improvements, such as installing energy efficient lighting in our facilities.
At this time, the majority of ENMAX's supply of power to customers results in emissions to the air. Our supply portfolio as of December 31, 2007 consisted of:
- Two coal-fired plants (Keephills and Battle River, AB)
- One gas-fired plant (Calgary Energy Centre, AB)
- Two wind farms (McBride Lake and Taber, AB)
- One run-of-river hydro plant (Furry Creek, BC)
ENMAX does not own or operate the coal or gas-fired generating stations with which we have Power Purchase Arrangements (PPAs) or similar agreements. However, when new provincial regulations on GHG came into effect on July 1, 2007, our company found itself in a unique position as a PPA Buyer. Due to the conditions of the PPAs, any change in the PPA facility's costs associated with changes in the law can be passed onto the PPA purchaser in some circumstances. As a result, we’ve spent a considerable amount of time and effort researching innovative ways to reduce emissions from our power portfolio, including the strengthening of our investments in renewable power projects.