Problem: The Athabasca oil sands are an important component of Alberta’s economy, but have significant environmental consequences. Debate around the future of the oil sands is typically polarizing and devoid win-win thinking. This project asks: what if we used the land area of the oil sands to additionally generate massive amounts of wind power?

Process Analysis: Debates about the oil sands and clean energy are so polarized, any single analysis would be rejected by those who didn’t like its recommendations. We therefore built an Excel-based modeling tool that allows users to input their own assumptions. The input section of its dashboard is shown below. You can download the full model here.

Problem Analysis: Once a wind turbine begins operation, it can generate revenue which can be reinvested into the project, creating the potential for exponential growth. Further the model accounts for the varying greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of electricity in different regions by allowing users to prioritize where electricity is sent to. The tool additionally accounts for the cost and emissions of constructing transmission lines.

Results: If the goal were to offset the additional emissions associated with the oil sands, as compared to conventional oil, this could be done for as little as $10/barrel – even though the region’s capacity factor was abysmal (17%). We recommend therefore that this same idea should be pursued in other locations.

Publication: Our analysis was published as a research paper in Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments.