EDA awards solar energy investment attraction contract to expert consulting firm
Published on October 7, 2011
October 07, 2011, Medicine Hat Alberta...The Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta (EDA) is pleased to announce that Millier Dickinson Blais (MDB) Inc. has been awarded the Solar Energy Investment Attraction Strategy contract. MDB was chosen for its high-level economic development, investment attraction expertise and its specialized industry knowledge. The strategy will serve as the next step towards increasing solar energy activities in the region.
MDB, Canada’s largest consulting firm specializing in economic development, has extensive experience in renewable energy, particularly pertaining to solar. Most recently, the firm completed an investment attraction strategy for “Canada’s Green Energy Hub” in the Grand Erie region of Ontario. Project Manager and Firm Principal, Brock Dickinson and team bring a mix of expertise, energy and innovative insight.
Dickinson explains that with the changing economic climate comes a new role for renewables. “Whether its new environmental technologies or new energy sources, we think that’s a pretty big part of what communities need to be thinking about in terms of where they go next in economic development.”
MDB will work with the EDA to develop a clear sense of direction and vision in terms of what the community wants to achieve with this sector. From there a strategy will be created to identify short and long-term solar energy opportunities such as job creation, investment attraction and business startup and expansion.
Jonathon Seib, Economic Development Officer for the EDA clarifies that although southeast Alberta will continue to benefit from its natural gas resources, the region is also lucky to have a large photovoltaic potential.
“Because of falling cost of solar energy, we estimate that within 5 – 7 years, the price of photovoltaics will be on par with conventional energy. What the strategy is trying to do is determine whether we can position our region to take advantage of these converging industries-renewable as well as oil and gas,” said Seib. “We are considering the whole supply chain involved in solar energy to determine if there is a niche that can be carved out in southeast Alberta.”
The EDA expects that the final report will be completed by the end of this year. Until that point they encourage you to visit www.edalliance.ca for more information on the existing solar industry in southeast Alberta.