New Brunswick communities put their climate energy plans into action with the support of QUEST Canada

Sept 21, 2022 — Today, QUEST Canada announces a new milestone for communities partnering and participating in the New Brunswick Smart Energy Community Accelerator (NB SECA) Pilot Program.

The NB SECA program is designed to equip communities with the tools and knowledge necessary to develop and implement community energy plans (CEP). A CEP is a planning process that aims to improve energy performance, enhance quality of life, and create socio-economic benefits at the local level.

The majority of QUEST Canada’s partnering and participating communities recently completed community energy plan implementation frameworks.

To complete these frameworks, QUEST Canada facilitated CEP implementation workshops, bringing together a group of key stakeholders in each community. During the workshops, participants developed strategies for governance, as well as for local engagement and communications relating to their respective local energy action plans.

NB SECA Pilot Program communities — and others across Canada — play an outsized role in combating climate change. According to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, around 60 percent of public infrastructure in Canada is owned by local governments. Moreover, communities are responsible for over half of Canada’s energy use and GHG emissions. QUEST Canada’s NB SECA Pilot Program seeks to reverse this trend, supporting communities throughout Canada on the pathway to net-zero.

About the NB SECA Pilot Program

The NB SECA program is designed to equip communities with tools and knowledge to develop and implement community energy plans and understand the socio-economic benefits they can provide.  In New Brunswick, this program includes nine participating communities, including one First Nation. In Fall 2021, five partner communities — through partnership with the Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick — joined the program. The 14 participating and partnering communities include:

1. Village de Cap-Pelé
2. Village of Nigadoo
3. Communauté Rurale de Saint-André
4. Village de Saint-Isidore
5. Village de Ste-Marie-St-Raphaël

Visit the program website to learn more or sign up to our monthly newsletter for future project updates.

About QUEST Canada

QUEST Canada is a national non-profit that supports communities in Canada on their pathway to net-zero. Since 2007, we’ve been facilitating connections, empowering community champions and influencing decision-makers to implement efficient and integrated energy systems that best meet community needs and maximize local opportunities. We develop tools and resources, convene stakeholders and rights holders and advise decision-makers — all with the goal of encouraging and enabling communities to contribute to Canada’s net-zero goals.

Media Contact

To set up an interview, please contact:

Melissa Schweyer Senior Lead, Communications

t: 866-494-2770 ext. 704

e: [email protected] 

To stay up to date on the NB SECA Program, and for more information, visit QUEST Canada’s website.  This project was supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Government of New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund, Énergie NB Power, the Suncor Energy Foundation, and Stantec.

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