Programmes
Featured Program
Canada’s Low-Carbon Energy Innovation Policy Database
Welcome to the national database of assessments of policies and factors that directly or indirectly impact low-carbon innovation across Canada’s provinces and territories.
Programmes
Ontario NCA
QUEST Canada’s NCA Program has been recognized with a prestigious 2025 Clean50 Top Project Award. The annual awards recognize initiatives based on their innovation, their ability to inform, and to inspire Canadians.
QUEST Canada’s Ontario NCA Program enables Ontario communities to reach net zero by equipping them with the tools and knowledge to develop and implement community energy and emissions plans and understand the net economic benefits they can provide.
Past participant in the NCA? Please Refer-a-Neighbour to our Program!
We need your help, in referring us to a New Brunswick municipality!
Encourager les mesures de carboneutralité dans les collectivités autochtones, rurales et éloignées,
Encourager les mesures de carboneutralité dans les collectivités autochtones, rurales et éloignées (EMC), un projet de recherche de QUEST Canada, porte sur les motivations, les obstacles et les projets d’énergie potentiels des zones à faible densité de population du pays au fil de la transition vers la carboneutralité.
QUEST Canada’s Pan-Atlantic NCA Program enables Atlantic Canada communities to reach net zero by equipping them with the tools and knowledge to develop and implement community energy and emissions plans and understand the net economic benefits they can provide.
Pan-Atlantic NCA
QUEST Canada’s Net-Zero Communities Accelerator (NCA) Program has been recognized with a prestigious 2025 Clean50 Top Project Award. The annual awards recognize initiatives based on their innovation, their ability to inform, and to inspire Canadians.
QUEST Canada’s Pan-Atlantic NCA Program enables Atlantic Canada communities to reach net zero by equipping them with the tools and knowledge to develop and implement community energy and emissions plans and understand the net economic benefits they can provide.
Energy Transition Policy Program
The objective of QUEST Canada’s Energy Transition Policy Program is to engage in a collaborative discussion with energy decision-makers to align climate and energy transition planning and policies that will facilitate sustainable community energy systems in support of a net-zero carbon (carbon neutral) economy by 2050.
NCA: Prairies Cohort
The NCA Program’s Prairies Cohort, is currently comprised of fifteen participating communities from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Programme pilote d’accélération des collectivités écoénergétiques intelligentes au Nouveau-Brunswick
Le programme pilote ACEI NB a réussi à mettre en place un accélérateur de planification énergétique communautaire pour aider une série de communautés du Nouveau-Brunswick et une Première nation, en leur fournissant les outils et les connaissances nécessaires pour élaborer et mettre en œuvre des plans énergétiques communautaires et comprendre l'avantage économique net qu'ils peuvent apporter.
Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy for Indigenous Communities
Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy (AIRE) for Indigenous Communities is a three-year project designed to help rural and remote Indigenous communities reach emission reduction targets by increasing their capacity to plan and implement land-based renewable energy initiatives (solar, wind, biomass, and geo-thermal). This project supports rural, remote Indigenous communities on their pathway to net-zero.
Tools
Canada’s Low-Carbon Energy Innovation Policy Database
Welcome to the national database of assessments of policies and factors that directly or indirectly impact low-carbon innovation across Canada’s provinces and territories.
Indigenous-AIRE Renewable Energy Transition Toolkit
Welcome to the I-AIRE Renewable Energy Transition Toolkit, an invaluable resource crafted with the unique needs and aspirations of Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba in mind.
Centre de ressources sur la planification communautaire de l’énergie et des émissions
If you’re an NB municipal leader or official, you’ll find everything you need to create a CEEP for your community: from developing a vision to setting targets to implementation and reporting.
Equitable Engagement
The Equitable Engagement project works to incorporate Indigenous knowledge as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations into QUEST Canada’s capacity building-based initiatives. The aim of this project is to ensure current and future participating communities are equipped with the tools, resources, and knowledge required to engage all stakeholders on the pathway to a durable and just net-zero future.
Formation sur la promotion de l'efficacité énergétique dans l'aménagement du territoire
The NB Environmental Trust Fund awarded funds to QUEST Canada and Decodesign to train professionals on promoting energy efficiency through land use planning design and smart growth principles integrated into development projects.
Why are we limiting our ability to achieve net-zero?
QUEST Canada has heard from a large number of diverse stakeholders wanting a more comprehensive net-zero dialogue – one that builds on electrification with the deployment of a diversity of additional local low-carbon energy solutions.
Community Energy Planning Alignment & Implementation Framework
Community Energy Planning Alignment & Implementation FrameworkWhat is the CEP Alignment and Implementation Framework? A Community Energy / Emissions Plan (CEP) defines a community’s priorities around energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Responding to the global...
THÉORIE DU CHANGEMENT
QUEST Canada’s theory of change seeks to ensure that 500 diverse communities in Canada are implementing durable and just net-zero strategies by 2030.
Principes pour les communautés d'énergie intelligente
A Smart Energy Community seamlessly integrates local, renewable, and conventional energy sources to efficiently, cleanly, and affordably meet its energy needs. It is a coveted, highly livable place to live, work, learn, and play.The successful implementation of Smart...
National Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Handbook
May 2020 Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) presents a unique opportunity not only to tackle GHG emissions and improve local air quality, but also to advance a circular economy for municipalities. When implemented on a municipal scale, biomethane can also be injected into...
Support for Indigenous Community Energy Planning
Supports for Indigenous Community Energy Planning The inventory is a summary of a jurisdictional scan of existing initiatives supporting community energy planning in Indigenous communities across Canada.[mapsvg id="40729"] Initiative Lead Organization Jurisdiction...
collectivités ingénieuses
Reports
Getting the Most Out of Your Retrofits
With deep retrofit technology readily available, Canadian municipal building stock is in a unique position to impact the country’s climate targets.
Enabling Low-Carbon Energy Projects for Investment
A final report has been developed to help local governments and community borrowers overcome barriers to the low-carbon energy transition.
Enabling Low-Carbon Energy Projects for Investments
Communities in Canada are increasingly developing local, low-carbon energy projects, but many face road-blocks with regards to financing. Simultaneously, Canadian investors are seeking low-carbon investments, but are challenged to find local opportunities at scale for investment. The Enabling Low Carbon Energy Projects for Investment (ELCEPI) research project aims to offer recommendations and solutions to close these financing gaps, while connecting the barriers and enablers for investment to larger socio-economic issues.
Les retombées économiques des plans énergétiques communautaires au Nouveau-Brunswick
In 2021 the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) engaged QUEST Canada to review existing Community Energy Plans (CEPs, also known as Community Energy and Emissions Plans, Climate Action Plans, etc.) in the province of New Brunswick to determine the potential economic impact at the local and provincial level. QUEST Canada has extensively engaged with New Brunswick’s municipal governments, and their communities, for some time through its Smart Energy Communities Accelerator (SECA) program and has identified and secured collaboration with six communities to undertake an economic impact assessment: Quispamsis, Woodstock, Florenceville-Bristol, Perth-Andover, St. Stephen and Saint Andrews.
The Role of Energy Innovation Sandboxes in Getting to Net-Zero
August 2020 Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) presents a unique opportunity not only to tackle GHG emissions and improve local air quality, but also to advance a circular economy for municipalities. When implemented on a municipal scale, biomethane can also be injected into...
A State of Renewal – Ontario’s Innovation Sandboxes
August 2020 Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) presents a unique opportunity not only to tackle GHG emissions and improve local air quality, but also to advance a circular economy for municipalities. When implemented on a municipal scale, biomethane can also be injected into...
Pre-Budget Consultation in Advance of Federal Budget 2022
Enabling Meaningful Climate Action in the Building Sector Across Nova Scotia
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Handbook for GTHA
August 2020 Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) presents a unique opportunity not only to tackle GHG emissions and improve local air quality, but also to advance a circular economy for municipalities. When implemented on a municipal scale, biomethane can also be injected into...
Les retombées économiques des plans énergétiques communautaires au Nouveau-Brunswick
Discover the local economic benefits of implementing Community Energy Plans by downloading the workbook and 2 case studies from NB municipalities
Economic Impact of New Brunswick Community Energy Plans: Primer and Workbook
Saint John Case Study: Economic Impact of New Brunswick Community Energy Plans
Sussex Case Study: Economic Impact of New Brunswick Community Energy Plans
District Energy: Building resiliency and community at the YMCA of greater Toronto
Community Resilience Mini-Guide
Webinars
NB-PEI Municipal Working Group Meeting: Economic Impact of New Brunswick Community Energy Plans
The New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island Municipal Working Group is a resource for municipalities engaged in community energy and emissions planning, partnership-building and Smart Energy projects to share their experiences, lessons learned and transfer knowledge about best practices.
In our June 2023 working group meeting, Rob Kerr, Senior Associate at QUEST Canada, provided an overview of the recently released report, “Economic Impact of New Brunswick Community Energy Plans”.
Webcast: How Hilo built Hydro-Quebec’s first virtual power plant through partnership
Webcast: Mixed Reality at Ontario Power Generation
Presentation of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) handbook for Canadian municipalities
Advancing Community Energy Resilience in Alberta
Innovation Sandboxes – Getting to Deployment: Bridging the Gaps in Energy Innovations in Canada
AIRE Webinar Part 4: Accelerating implementation of renewable energy: a protocol to guide Municipalities
AIRE Webinar Part 3: Governing the implementation of CEP through local not-for-profit intermediaries
Intersection of IoT and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) ft. Microsoft
AIRE Webinar Part 2: Accelerating implementation in renewable energy: what role for the Municipality?
Premiers pas vers l’élaboration de carrés de sable pour l’innovation dans le secteur énergétique.
Premiers pas vers l’élaboration de carrés de sable pour l’innovation dans le secteur énergétique
AIRE Webinar Part 1: Participatory mapping as a tool for virtual and live public engagement
Economic Impact of Community Energy Plans
QUEST Canada helps communities achieve their net-zero emissions goals by offering programs, resources, tools and guidance for developing and implementing Community Energy and Emission Plans (CEEPs), which create economic, environmental, and social benefits.
Our Energy Transition Policy Program (ETPP) – Net-Zero Communities Accelerator – NCA program: Prairies – atlantique – Ontario – Centre de ressources sur la planification communautaire de l’énergie et des émissions (PICEC) – Accelerating the Implementation of Renewable Energy in Indigenous Communities (Indig-AIRE) – Mobilizing Net-Zero in Rural and Remote Communities (MNZA) and – Low-Carbon Energy Innovation (LCEI) programs align communities, engage decision-makers, strengthen energy plans, build human resource capacity, increase funding access, drive clean energy projects, offer financial solutions, and raise public awareness.