Implementing Renewable Energy into Canadian Municipalities Just Got A Little Easier

QUEST & CEKAP (Community Energy Knowledge Action Partnership) Launch Free Renewable Energy Planning Resource for Municipalities Across Canada

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

OTTAWA, January 20, 2021 – Today, QUEST and CEKAP are announcing the release of the AI-RE (Accelerating the Implementation of Renewable Energy) protocol, a free online resource to support municipalities across Canada accelerate the implementation of renewable energy and low-carbon energy systems.

Consisting of five action items and associated resources, the protocol provides guidance for municipalities (cities, towns, counties, etc.) regardless of their financial resources or experience with renewable energy implementation. The protocol provides in-depth guidance on:

• The roles municipalities can play in renewable energy development
• How to find and map solar, wind, and biomass energy generation opportunities
• Collaboration 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 

“Municipalities are eager to accelerate the use of renewable energy to strengthen economic resilience in their communities and to demonstrate leadership in addressing climate change,” says Kirby Calvert, Project Technical Lead and Co-director of CEKAP. “The resources we’ve compiled will enhance capacity within our municipalities and our communities. We’ve built on best practices from across Canada as well as international academic research to provide guidance on resource assessments, land-use planning, community and stakeholder engagement and collaboration. This is just another building block in a larger effort to support local action and we look forward to continuing to support these efforts going forward.”

The AI-RE protocol provides a starting point and resources for municipalities seeking to implement renewable energy projects following the federal government’s $964 million pledge for smart renewable energy and grid modernization projects in December. The protocol’s step-by-step planning tools, complementary resources and in-depth case-studies are intended to guide the creation of tailored renewable energy strategies that make sense for a municipality and its people. 

The Region of Waterloo, York Region, Town of Canmore, City of Moncton and the City of Saint John have already undertaken work outlined in the AI-RE protocol prior to launch through their participation in QUEST’s 2020 AI-RE project.

“From our Community Energy Investment Strategy, we know that supporting the future implementation of renewable energy will provide significant opportunities both for economic development and for responding to the climate emergency,” said Rod Regier, Commissioner of Planning, Development and Legislative Services, Region of Waterloo. “The AI-RE project has enabled Waterloo Region to work with municipalities across Canada to further the collaborative research and policy review that will allow our municipalities to support the transition of our energy system and help us to thrive in a low-carbon future.” 

Renewable energy projects can be diverse. Across the country, municipalities have implemented large-scale projects like district heating systems that generate energy through bio-heating, to smaller regulatory changes for new buildings, among many other strategies in-between.

“The City of Moncton will benefit from the tools developed as part of this study during future planning exercises, including the development of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan in 2021” says Elaine Aucoin, Director of Environmental Planning and Management with the City of Moncton.

This project was supported by the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by the Government of Canada. It contributes to the Partners for Climate Protection Program (PCP) which is a collaboration between FCM  and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. For more information on the AI-RE protocol or project, visit QUEST’s website.

 

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.

 

ABOUT CEKAP

The Community Energy Knowledge-Action Partnership (CEKAP) 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

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Eric Timmins
Senior Lead, Projects, Research & Advisory Services
T: 866-494-2770 e.712
[email protected]

 

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