The British Columbia government will give $25 million in energy retrofits to schools, universities, colleges, hospitals and Crown corporations to create jobs and cut carbon pollution, according to a government news release.
 
“We know this investment will immediately translate into a lower energy footprint for public sector buildings, less carbon pollution, and savings to taxpayers,” said John Yap, Minister of State for Climate Action. “Equally important, these investments will create new jobs across the province and spur public sector organizations and B.C. businesses to find innovative ways to tackle climate change.”
 
In 2007 the BC created the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement in Partnership with BC Hydro. Budget 2008 committed $75 million over three years to help public sector organizations. To date, the government says achievements include annual energy cost savings of close to $7.4 million, greenhouse gas reductions of over 18,700 tonnes and conservation of 38.6 GWh of electricity.
 
“Investing in energy efficiency has many long-term pay backs,” said David Cobb, president and CEO, BC Hydro. “Not only do customers reduce operating costs, but energy efficiency and conservation also create jobs. In fact, our Power Smart initiatives will create 193,000 jobs in the province over 30 years.”
 
The $25 investment will be spread across four categories:

• $6 million in K-12 schools throughout the province for HVAC retrofits
• $2 million for solar thermal projects to fund solar hot water and air systems
• $12 million for district energy systems.
• $5 million for an open call for proposals to all provincial public sector organizations

For more information on the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement, visit www.env.gov.bc.ca/cas/mitigation/pseca.html.

According to a new global survey by workspace solutions provider Regus, 68% of Canadian companies believe that government tax breaks are required to accelerate adoption of green investment.
 
In Canada, the Regus survey also found that:

• 9% of companies monitor their carbon footprint (the lowest percentage globally)
• 24% had a corporate policy to invest in energy-efficient equipment
• Operating costs were found to be important to 32% of companies that declared they would only invest in low-carbon equipment if it were cheaper or the same to run as conventional equipment
• 68% of companies stated that if the government offered tax incentives to invest in energy efficient or low-carbon equipment, businesses would significantly accelerate their green investments

 
The survey found differences globally between small and large companies, with small companies less likely to make green investments, e.g. low-carbon equipment. The survey also analyzed sector differences.
 
“Adoption of green equipment and monitoring initiatives is still disappointingly low, particularly for smaller companies,” said Wes Lenci, regional vice president of Regus Canada. “Yet small and medium-sized companies account for half of any country's business makeup with reports indicating that as a result of the Harper government failing to keep pace with renewable energy investments made by the Obama administration, Canada is losing out on approximately 66,000 jobs. If the government is serious about meeting ambitious carbon emission reduction targets by mid-century, then it needs to further incentivize the change.”
 
For more information, visit www.regus.co.uk.

In its inaugural year, the Government of Alberta says its energy efficiency rebate program has delivered more than 66,000 rebates to Albertan homeowners—worth more than $13 million—who have invested in environmental upgrades.
 
“The tremendous response in the program’s initial year demonstrates Albertans’ commitment to reducing their environmental impacts,” said Environment Minister Rob Renner. “Consumers have proven they have the power and desire to make positive and lasting environmental impacts through their day-to-day energy decisions.”
 
More than 29,000 rebates have been issued for home energy evaluations. ENERGY STAR-rated clothes washers are the next most popular rebate, with more than 21,000 issued, followed by furnaces and boilers which account for more than 11,600 rebates ranging from $400 to $600. One hundred and thirty-one high-efficiency new homes have been built, including 32 that qualified for a rebate of $10,000, the highest amount available.
 
“Our homes represent a significant portion of our personal environmental footprint,” said Simon Knight, president and CEO of Climate Change Central, the non-profit organization which administers the program on behalf of the Government of Alberta. “Albertans are demonstrating that they want to reduce their carbon emissions and save money.”
 
In April 2009, the province committed $36 million over three years to help Albertans reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the consumer rebate program. Alberta’s provincial rebate program will continue with minor changes as a result of the federal government’s decision to curtail its ecoEnergy Retrofit Program. The government says Albertans can continue to access the provincial rebate program by contacting Climate Change Central online at www.climatechangecentral.com.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance announced early this week that Nissan Canada has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Québec, the City of Montréal, Québec City, Hydro-Québec and the Agence de l'efficacité énergétique du Québec to advance zero-emission mobility in Québec. The parties will work together to plan the necessary charging infrastructure and to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles in Québec.

"This agreement brings us a step closer to a governmental action plan on electric vehicles, which will be launched within the next few months," said Minister of Natural Resources, Nathalie Normandeau. "We are planning a series of concrete actions that will pave the way for the arrival of electric vehicles in Québec. Since 97% of our electricity comes from clean, renewable resources, Québec presents a number of advantages for the introduction of electric vehicles."

"The Renault-Nissan Alliance has committed to being a global leader in zero-emission mobility, which is one of the best solutions for reducing CO(2) emissions," said Mark Grimm, President Nissan Canada Inc. "We look forward to bringing the Nissan LEAF, the only mass-market zero-emission car at an affordable price, to Québec. Our partners have already demonstrated their commitment to combating greenhouse gas emissions and we anticipate a productive collaboration."

Thierry Vandal, Hydro-Québec's President and CEO, added that the announcement "falls perfectly in line with our Strategic Plan 2009-2013 and other initiatives currently underway at Hydro-Québec. This memorandum of understanding will allow us to work closely with these important partners to carefully plan for the arrival of electric vehicles in Québec."

"Montréal is a true leader with respect to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions," said Alan DeSousa, Vice-President of the Executive Committee and responsible for finance, sustainable development, environment and parks. "The memorandum of understanding signed with our partners meets the objectives of Montréal's Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development. It will raise our city's profile in North America with regard to electric vehicles and will help us reach our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by the year 2020."

Québec City's Mayor, Régis Labeaume stated: "This partnership is in line with Québec City's ongoing efforts to develop sustainable transportation. The implementation of the Écolobus service, a fleet of non-polluting, ultra-quiet electric minibuses that travel the streets of Vieux-Québec, is a great success that contributes to maintaining the quality of the capital's environment."

Nissan, along with its alliance partner Renault, is committed to making affordable, all-electric vehicles available to the mass-market globally. The Nissan LEAF, a five-passenger all-electric vehicle, will first be available in select Canadian markets, such as Québec, before the end of 2011.

The MOU agreement adds Québec to a growing network of zero-emission vehicle initiatives across the world.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance, which was formed in 1999, aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility. To date, the Alliance has entered into more than 60 partnerships worldwide with countries, cities, organizations and other key stakeholders to prepare the markets and necessary infrastructure for the successful adoption of electric vehicles around the world.

Both the City of Thunder Bay and the Town of Caledon have taken notable steps in the past to improve their energy management practices and reduce energy usage. Now, to take their efforts further, they are enlisting the services of 360 Energy and entered into the Sustainable Energy Planning Program.

The City of Thunder Bay has set a goal to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the wise use of energy and to promote the transition to a carbon neutral future, with an objective to reduce total fossil energy usage by 35% below 2005 levels by 2017. This impressive goal is outlined in the EarthWise Thunder Bay Community Environmental Action Plan. The EarthWise Plan not only includes energy but also incorporates transportation, air quality, community involvement, education, food, buildings, land use, pesticides, waste and water. With little more than an overarching energy reduction target, the City developed a diverse energy team and then turned to 360 Energy to help develop a clear and strategic roadmap for achieving the goal set out in the EarthWise Plan. 
 
Planning and Research Analyst for the Facilities & Fleet Department commented that the Program was "a start in the right direction towards managing energy" and the EarthWise Energy Chair pointed out that it provides a "valuable framework".
 
The Town of Caledon, through its commitment to Partners for Climate Protection, has a directive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy consumption, and has set out to align the Town of Caledon's activities with the parameters set out in the Ontario Green Energy Act.  The Town's energy team enlisted 360 Energy's services to help identify immediate areas of energy saving opportunities, and to develop an effective energy plan to guide them towards achieving their long-term goal.
 
Both participants received their 360 Assessments and have already completed the one-day Sustainable Energy Planning Workshop.  With ongoing mentoring and support from 360 Energy, both the City of Thunder Bay and the Town of Caledon will be completing their energy plans this year.

www.360energy.net

Canadians have missed out on approximately 66,000 jobs because the federal government has failed to match the U.S. in renewable energy investments, according to a report released this week by Blue Green Canada, an alliance between Environmental Defence Canada and United Steelworkers. The report, Falling Behind: Canada's Lost Clean Energy Jobs, is the first assessment of the employment impact of Canada's failure to invest in clean energy and was released this week at the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference in Washington, DC.

"Canada's federal government keeps saying it's matching U.S. efforts on energy and climate, but this is simply not true," said Gillian McEachern, Program Manager, Environmental Defence Canada. "Ottawa is obsessed with protecting oil from the tar sands instead of catching up to other countries in creating clean energy jobs."

The report measures the discrepancy in clean energy investment between the Canadian and U.S. federal governments since President Obama came to power. This measure includes support for renewable energy, greener transportation and energy efficiency. Key findings of the report include:

• Canada's clean energy investment gap is $11.5 billion - if Canada matched the U.S. on a per person basis, an additional Cdn $11.5 billion would have been invested in clean energy.
• Canada dedicated less of its stimulus spending to clean energy than Mexico, the U.S., Australia, China and South Korea.
• If Canada's spending matched U.S. investment in renewable energy alone, an additional estimated 66,000 jobs would have been created. This does not include the jobs opportunities lost in greener transportation and energy efficiency.

"America is concerned China is out-competing them in the new energy economy, but Canada isn't even keeping up with the U.S.," said Ken Delaney of United Steelworkers. "Canadians who are unemployed or underemployed right now cannot afford Ottawa's failure to support the economy of tomorrow."

Within the next decade, clean energy could grow to become one of the world's largest industrial sectors, ranking behind electronics and automotive products. Blue Green Canada is calling on the federal government to prevent Canada from falling further behind by matching or surpassing U.S. clean energy investment, putting a price on carbon and designing policies to support clean energy manufacturing in Canada.

The Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, which runs from May 4 to 6, 2010 in Washington, D.C., is a gathering of labour, environmental organizations and business from across North America. The conference draws thousands of people and will be addressed by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, U.S. House of Representatives majority leader Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Senator John Kerry, among others.

The report can be downloaded on the Blue Green Canada web site at www.bluegreencanada.ca or on the Environmental Defence web site at www.environmentaldefence.ca.

Ontario is establishing conservation targets for all local electricity utilities. The Ontario Energy Board and the Ontario Power Authority will be directed to implement these targets.

These targets will help utilities design and deliver conservation programs to residential, commercial, institutional and industrial customers across the province. This will expand the number of conservation programs in Ontario to include:

• Province-wide Programs - programs jointly developed by the Ontario Power Authority and local electricity utilities
• Collective Local Distribution Company Programs - programs developed by groups of local electricity utilities
• Individual Local Distribution Company Programs - programs developed by individual local electricity utilities to meet unique local needs

The conservation targets aim to achieve 1,330 megawatt (MW) of provincial peak demand savings over a four-year period beginning January 1, 2011. 

Transitioning families, businesses and government to lower and more efficient energy use is a key focus of Ontario's Green Energy Act and supports the five-year Open Ontario plan to create new opportunities for jobs and growth.

"This latest development is a strong indication of government's commitment to conservation and its recognition of the leadership role that electricity distribution companies will play in fostering a culture of conservation among Ontarians," says Charlie Macaluso, President and CEO, Electricity Distributors Association. "Clear conservation targets and resources will allow us to provide our customers with local programs that can help them manage the electricity they use in their homes and businesses."

First Nations and Métis in Ontario will soon be able to apply to a new program to support participation in the province's growing renewable energy sector and help build sustainable and stronger economies for their communities.

The Aboriginal Energy Partnership Program (AEPP), which launched last week, will provide knowledge and support to help communities interested in building new renewable energy generation projects in Ontario.

"Ontario's Green Energy Act is opening up opportunities for First Nation and Métis people, businesses and communities to participate in the transformation of our energy sector," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "Through this new partnership program, we are creating the conditions necessary for success by providing concrete support to build capacity in Aboriginal communities."

Current Ontario initiatives to support Aboriginal participation include a $250-million loan guarantee program and price adders for Feed-In Tariff projects in which Aboriginal communities have a minimum of 10 per cent equity stake.

The new Aboriginal Energy Partnership Program (AEPP), administered by the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has three interrelated components - The Aboriginal Renewable Energy Fund, the Aboriginal Renewable Energy Network and Aboriginal Community Energy Plans.

The Aboriginal Renewable Energy Fund will fund some of the initial up-front costs associated with developing a new renewable energy project. The program will cover costs such as resource assessments, engineering studies, environmental and regulatory approval studies and business plan preparation. Qualified Aboriginal community projects are eligible for a maximum of $500,000 under the Aboriginal Renewable Energy Fund.

"The Anishinaabe peoples in Northern Ontario have not had the opportunity to advise Ontario of their own aspirations relative to their energy needs until now. The Aboriginal Renewable Energy Fund will enable First Nations and Ontario to define their partnership in practical terms at the community level. It will also enable both parties to harmonize their efforts successfully in a renewable green energy program for our children and generations yet unborn," said Elder Fred Kelly, member of the OPA's Aboriginal Advisory Committee.

The AEPP also includes the Aboriginal Renewable Energy Network, which is an evolving web-based tool that provides information about Ontario's electricity system, types of renewable energy resources and technology, the FIT and microFIT programs, environmental requirements, business planning, project development and project management.

"The Network will be a useful tool for those who are asked to develop a project in an aboriginal community. This website will be a great information resource for community members and students who want to know more about renewable energy and conservation in Ontario," said Senator Bob McKay of the Métis Nation of Ontario.

The Aboriginal Community Energy Plans component is still under development. When complete, First Nation and Métis communities will have the opportunity to identify energy savings, identify new resources and plan their future energy needs.

The ongoing evolution of the AEPP will be guided by advice and guidance from the Aboriginal Advisory Committee which is comprised of eight members nominated by First Nation Political Territorial Organizations, the Métis Nation of Ontario and the OPA.

For further information on the AEPP, visit the Aboriginal Renewable Energy Network at www.aboriginalenergy.ca/. The OPA began accepting applications April 28, 2010.

Nova Scotia Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks introduced amendments on May 5 to the Electricity Act that will help Nova Scotians access clean, secure and locally-produced energy at stable prices, says the government.
 
“These changes will move our Renewable Electricity Plan from a strategy into a reality,” said Estabrooks. “For Nova Scotians it will mean good jobs and a cleaner environment. These changes also help bring price stability to our electricity market over the long run.”
 
The amendments provide for:
* the appointment of a renewable electricity administrator to oversee contracts for energy purchases by independent power producers
* establishment of a feed-in tariff or fixed price for community and development tidal array projects
* and an enhanced net metering policy that credits consumers for the renewable energy they produce, with a requirement for Nova Scotia Power to file its plan by Nov. 1.
 
Estabrooks said the province is going to supply 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015. Draft regulations are expected to be released this summer to support these legislative amendments.
 
The province's Renewable Electricity Plan, as well as the legislative amendments, is available at www.gov.ns.ca/energy.

WASHINGTON, DC — The Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) last week released its North American policy paper in Washington DC, entitled "The Integrated Electricity System: Sustainable Electricity as the Foundation for Economic Recovery in North America." The paper presents the Canadian industry's views on opportunities for enhancing the Canada-US electricity relationship to help move toward a more sustainable energy economy in North America. It can be found on the CEA website at www.electricity.ca.

"As both Canadian and U.S. economies move toward recovery, we welcome the growing consensus that clean energy must be a cornerstone of our new economic framework," said CEA President and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Guimond. "A bilateral relationship quite unique in this world exists between Canada and the United States; our relationship offers a powerful opportunity to make impacts on a broad and comprehensive scale."

Of the issues examined and discussed in this report, Guimond says: "Promoting clean technologies and environmental performance, building secure and reliable infrastructure, and ensuring sustained cross-border trade are foundational. As we move together toward a future where electricity will be used in more and more applications daily, our focus will be on the industry's ability to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity to North Americans. Working on this in tandem, and with purpose, will be essential if we are to deliver on our promise of a clean energy future for both Americans and Canadians."

The CEA paper is produced annually in conjunction with the Association's Washington Policy Forum. During this event, Canadian electricity industry executives will be meeting with senior-level policymakers from the US administration and Congress who play a leading role in developing legislation and regulation impacting the electricity sector. CEA will also engage in strategic discussion with its counterparts in US industry organizations on issues of mutual interest.

"Keeping US decision makers apprised of the Canadian factor on electricity issues specifically, and energy issues generally, is an ongoing responsibility," noted Guimond. "The trade and commerce of electricity is vital to both countries. The flow of electricity north and south across our mutual border must never be taken for granted."

Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) members generate, transmit and distribute electrical energy to industrial, commercial, residential and institutional customers across Canada every day. From vertically integrated electric utilities, to power marketers, to the manufacturers and suppliers of materials, technology and services that keep the industry running smoothly -- all are represented by this national industry association.

The full report is available in both official languages on the Canadian Electricity Association website at www.electricity.ca.