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News Release

Five Municipalities Accelerating the Implementation of Renewable Energy

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May 23, 2019

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May 23, 2019 – QUEST and the Community Energy Knowledge Action Partnership (CEKAP) have been granted funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to work with five municipalities across Canada to help them reach significant carbon emission reduction targets.

The five municipalities are the City of Moncton and the City of Saint John in New Brunswick, the Region of Waterloo and York Region in Ontario, and the Town of Canmore in Alberta.

The project, Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy, is a two-year project designed to help municipalities reach emission reduction targets by identifying opportunities for local renewable energy projects and infrastructure. The project will give municipalities the information and the tools they need to better assess and communicate local renewable energy opportunities and adapt to changes in technology and policy.

By embedding climate goals into diverse facets of municipal planning, and sharing new information with their peers, communities of all sizes can provide greater environmental, economic and social value for Canadians over the long term.

The grant is part of Transition 2050, an initiative offered through FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP) and funded by the Government of Canada.  QUEST is one of thirteen organizations selected to build and support a network of communities as they develop long-term plans and projects contributing to a low carbon transition by 2050, in alignment with the target date as set out by the Paris Agreement.

“QUEST is a connector, educator, and accelerator of change. Through this project we will support partnerships between local governments, utilities, and academia to create tools that will help identify and remove barriers to local renewable energy development, foster broad community support, and be transferable to the rest of Canada."

Tonja Leach

Executive Director, QUEST

"Municipal governments are quickly recognizing the need to integrate land-use planning and energy planning in order to capture the benefits and minimize the conflicts of this transformation. CEKAP is excited to be involved in this - a revolution in the way energy systems are planned and governed that sees a stronger role for local governments and communities, and greater emphasis on the land-use implications of our sustainable energy future."

Dr. Kirby Calvert

Co-Director, Community Energy Knowledge and Action Partnership

“The City of Moncton developed a Corporate Energy and GHG Reduction Action Plan and is currently implementing identified actions such as the installation of a biomass heating system at its Operations Center and solar panels at two new facilities. The two year AI-RE project will allow the City to share lessons learned and further its knowledge by networking with other communities who have implemented renewable energy projects within their community.”

Elaine Aucoin

Director, Environmental Planning and Management, City of Moncton

“The City of Saint John is pleased to participate in FCM’s Transition 2050 Partner Grants - Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy (AI-RE) Project - under the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP). The project will align with the City of Saint John’s Corporate and Community GHG and Energy action plan goals, to move forward to a low carbon economy using local energy sources.”

Samir Yammine

Manager of Asset & Energy Management, City of Saint John

“Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass, ‎are significant components in powering our future communities. The Region of Waterloo looks forward to working with QUEST to develop the tools and resources that municipalities from across Canada will need to plan for and benefit from upcoming community energy projects".

Regional Chair Karen Redman

Waterloo Region, Ontario

“Canmore is looking forward to exploring opportunities for renewable energy generation through this project. We recently approved our new Climate Action Plan, and the Plan contemplates setting a renewable energy target and understanding how we can achieve this. We appreciate the collaborative work of QUEST and the project partners, along with the financial support of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to help communities across the country transition towards a low carbon future.”

Mayor John Borrowman

Town of Canmore, Alberta

Quick Links

Project Webpage

FCM’s Transition 2050 initiative

FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program

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. QUEST undertakes research, communicates best practices, convenes government, utility, private-sector and community leaders, and works directly with local authorities to implement on-the-ground solutions. QUEST grounds all its activities in the “Smart Energy Community”—a concept that encapsulates the ideal end state of the organization’s work.

About CEKAP

The Community Energy Knowledge-Action Partnership (CKEAP) is a partnership of Canadian universities, local and regional governance partners, and civil society organizations with a shared interest in the successful implementation of community energy plans. This partnership includes academic expertise from five universities in programs ranging from economics, political science, geography, and engineering.  Dr. Kirby Calvert, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Guelph and Co-Director of CEKAP will be leading the research and mapping component of the initiative.

Media Contact

Cheryl Ratchford

Director, Policy & Communications, QUEST

(866) 494-2770 ext. 703

[email protected]

 

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