
Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy
The AI-RE protocol is now live!
The Accelerating the Implementation of Renewable Energy (AI-RE) protocol is a free online resource for Canadian municipalities. It consists of 5 action items and associated resources on:
- The roles municipalities can play in renewable energy development
- How to find and map solar, wind, and biomass energy generation opportunities
- How to collaborate with stakeholders and community members to create fair and tailored initiatives
- How to integrate sustainable development into future community plans
- How intermediary organizations may invigorate the process

Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy is a two year project designed to help municipalities reach emission reduction targets by enabling investment of local renewable energy projects and infrastructure. The project will give municipalities the information and the tools they need to better assess and communicate renewable energy opportunities and adapt to changes in technology and policy.
Participants will benefit from hands-on learning techniques, real-world case studies on land use and other policy and technical tools, and a customized mapping toolkit to assess and communicate opportunities for projects in their communities.
From September to December 2020, QUEST organized a 4-part webinar series in partnership with the Community Energy Knowledge Action Partnership (CEKAP) and the University of Guelph. Click here to watch the recordings of the Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy webinar series.

Participating Municipalities
The following municipalities have been selected to participate in the Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy Project.
Project Partners
The Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy project is being led in partnership by QUEST and CEKAP.


Project Supporters
This initiative is offered through the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada. This initiative contributes to the FCM-ICLEI Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program to help municipalities reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take action on climate change. PCP is a partnership between FCM and ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability.


Other Projects
QUEST conducts and packages cutting edge applied research to empower practitioners and decision makers with the tools they need to advance Smart Energy Communities. Find out more about our projects: