N.L. reveals its renewable energy strategy but critics eye lack of specifics

Newfoundland and Labrador's new five-year energy plan aims to move the province away from diesel and thermal generation and towards more renewable energy but critics say it's not clear what concrete steps will be taken to achieve the provincial government's goals.

The 42-page plan, revealed Thursday in St. John's, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province. Itincludes a long list of initiatives, but comes with no budget or investment figures attached.

"I've never been one to give people timelines or specifics that I cannot control. I don't think that's sensible to do that," Andrew Parsons, minister of industry, energy and technology, told reporters following the announcement.

He said he probably wouldn't still be in his role when many of the initiatives laid out in the plan come to fruition.

"I'm not in a position to say that we are going to have, you know,500 jobs, we're going to have aoffshorewind farm in this area. The reality is there's a whole bunch of different steps to this. But the other thing is that we'resetting the lead today."

The report recommends the provincial government launch regulatory reviews and create provincial inventories of possible energy assets, in an effort to entice more industry development in the province.

Parsons says that includes a review of the government's moratorium on wind development, something he says will change "sooner rather than later."

"I'm very bullish on the opportunities for wind," he said."Extremely bullish on what we have, the possibility there, especially with offshore, onshore. We've had a significant amount of attention paid there."

The plan also suggests government should review theElectrical Power Control Act and consider making it easier for electrical customers to generate their own energy.

When pressed by reporters for specifics, Parsons saidthe government's plan is designed to signal that the provincial government is looking at renewable energy "very seriously," but also cautiously and openly.

"We also have to realize that we are a province that does have a significant amount of historywhen it comes to the development of our resources that has been negative. And I want to put a process in place, we want to put a process in place that makes Newfoundlanders and Labradorians feel safe and secure that we are doing the best things possible."

Other recommendations in the report include:

• Consulting with and supporting energy priorities of Indigenous groups.
• Launching afeasibility study on the use of high-efficiency woodstoves in isolated diesel systems.
• Encouraging industry consumers to switch to renewable energy sources.
• Increasing the number of electric car chargers across the province.
• Developing a hydrogen energy plan.
• Reviewing the province's net-metering policies.

'Details are scanty'

Lloyd Parrott, the Progressive Conservative critic for energy, said the plan makes clear that the province is in a good position for resource development.

Buthe said it lacks key dates and targets for the province to work toward.

"There's no funding committed to it, so you wonder how committed they are to their own plan," he said. "Details are scanty at best."

'Not prepared' to abandon oil

The provincial government says that once Muskrat Falls power comes online, and if the Holyrood generating station is decommissioned, about 98 per cent of the powergenerated in Newfoundland and Labrador will be from renewable sources.

Despite that, and its desire to reduce carbon emissions inside the province, Parsons says he's not prepared to step away from the offshore oil and gas industry.

"If we pull out of the market, we are only hurting ourselves. It will be filled by other jurisdictions with worse product," he said."We're going to pay more. We're going to see people out of work. I'mnot prepared to do that."

"I think the fact is that we can take advantage of all the resources that we have."

Parsons said there is a transition in place but couldn't say how long it will take.

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