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The biggest barrier to replacing coal-fired power plants with wind and solar energy in Alberta can be overcome with a simple government policy that’s working successfully in dozens of American states, say proponents of renewable energy.

Groups calling on the NDP government to more than quadruple the province’s wind energy capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are urging it to set renewable energy requirements — known as renewable portfolio standards — that create an incentive for building wind farms.

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“It certainly seems to be one of the most elegant and rigorous ways for them to go about it, and it has a bit of a track record,” said Pembina Institute director Simon Dyer.

In its submission to Alberta’s Climate Change Panel, the institute says renewable portfolio standards are “widely and successfully used” in 29 states and three provinces.

But without legislation making it necessary that a set percentage of electricity generation be provided from renewable energy sources, wind farmers in Canada’s only fully deregulated electricity market can’t borrow the money they need to construct their facilities, said Canadian Wind Energy Association president Robert Hornung in an interview Thursday.