I actually did an analysis on what went wrong in Alberta in order to determine how (specifically solar energy) could be developed in Alberta.. there were lot's of factors that made the implementation of solar and transition toward renewables in general a lot more difficult (not to mention the WTO issues hindering the manufacturing sector).

It wasn’t specifically the implementation of programs supporting renewable energy that was the source of the electricity price increases. Instead, it was a combination of factors that created the high consumer prices including infrastructure upgrades, a transition away from coal-generated electricity resulting in increased supply costs, and only a small portion of cost increases were associated with newly added renewable energy power supply.

With Alberta transitioning off coal generated electricity and newly created carbon taxes, Alberta’s electricity rates may increase as well (which will be offset by rebates to lower income families). Regardless, costs are going up...

By understanding the economic factors that contribute to solar pricing, and comparing Ontario and Alberta’s electricity industry and policies, we can see how the introduction of increased renewable energy penetration can affect consumer pricing and public perceptions. It is useful to see how Ontario spurred the solar energy sector in Canada through its RESOP and feed-in tariff program, in order to understand what policies could potentially work, or not work, in Alberta. Almost ten years later after the introduction of Ontario’s RESOP, solar energy is now close to, or in some cases, at grid parity (in Alberta), removing the requirement of additional subsidies to make solar and other alternatives market competitive. Although the Alberta government has yet to reveal what incentives are being rolled out to encourage alternative energy, the results of the program will most likely have much more success Ontario’s due the competitive nature of solar in Alberta, and the what has been learned from previous experience.

Is sustainable energy compatible with growth in Canada? In Ontario’s case, it depends on which lens you view growth from. However in Alberta's case, we have some huge opportunities coming down both from above at a policy-driven level, but as well, from below at the grassroots level. There are many examples of consumers and communities requesting, nay, demanding change toward more renewable power options, specifically solar, here in Alberta.