Announcing the launch of the New Brunswick Smart Energy Communities Accelerator Program

QUEST Launches Smart Energy Communities Accelerator Program for 10 New Brunswick Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

OTTAWA, April 21, 2021 – Today QUEST is announcing the launch of the New Brunswick Smart Energy Communities Accelerator Program (NB SECA Program), designed to accelerate community energy planning activities in 10 New Brunswick communities, including one First Nation. “The NB SECA Program is a pilot and will be used to develop a national Smart Energy Communities Accelerator that can be rolled out to other communities across Canada,” says Tonja Leach, Executive Director, QUEST. “The program will help participants with both economic development and greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts to better position them as Canada moves towards a net-zero emission economy.”

The program will provide participants with services, tools and knowledge to guide them in either developing or advancing their community energy plans (CEP) and the economic benefits associated with them. Additional objectives of the NB SECA Program include:

• Enhancing ongoing knowledge sharing, and supporting community energy planning efforts for 10 New Brunswick communities, including one First Nation. 
• Develop case studies to assess the economic impact of the resulting Community Energy Plans, and a report to understand the impact these plans have on the province of New Brunswick’s post-COVID economic recovery strategy.
• Sharing results and lessons learned that can be shared with interested stakeholders both regionally and nationally.
• Refining the SEC Accelerator program that can be rolled out to other communities across Canada.

When selecting program participants, outreach was geared towards smaller communities, specifically towns and villages across New Brunswick. The Town of Quispamsis and the Town of Woodstock previously participated in QUEST’s New Brunswick Smart Energy Communities Benchmark Project in 2020 and will be furthering their CEP efforts as part of this Program.

“The Town of Quispamsis is pleased once again to partner with QUEST in the development of the New Brunswick Smart Energy Communities Accelerator Program,” said Councillor Emil Olsen, Chair, Quispamsis Climate Change Committee. “The Town is fortunate to utilize QUEST’s resources and knowledge base on the issues of Climate Change. This two-year program will help expedite the implementation of Quispamsis’ Community Energy Plan as we move forward in our efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.” 

Participating communities will receive a tailored SECA Accelerator Plan that will highlight what tools and services they will receive over the next two years. Confirmed participants include:

1. Town of Quispamsis
2. Town of Woodstock
3. Village of Perth-Andover
4. Town of Florenceville-Bristol
5. Village of Petitcodiac
6. Town of Saint Andrews
7. Town of St. Stephen
8. Town of Oromocto
9. St. Mary’s First Nation
10. Town of Sussex
    

To stay up to date on the NB SECA Program, and for more information, visit QUEST’s website. 

This project was supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Government of New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, Énergie NB Power, and Stantec.

ABOUT QUEST

QUEST is a national non-government organization that works to accelerate the adoption of efficient and integrated community-scale energy systems in Canada by informing, inspiring, and connecting decision-makers. The organization commissions research, communicates best practices, convenes government, utility, and private-sector leaders, and works directly with local authorities to implement on-the-ground solutions. QUEST recognizes communities that have embraced these principles by referring to them as Smart Energy Communities.

MEDIA CONTACT

Emily Cormier
Program Manager, Smart Energy Communities Accelerator
Toll Free: 866-494-2770 e.702
[email protected]

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