Resources

Community energy initiatives are strongly interwoven into Alectra’s strategic priorities with ‘Communities’ listed as the first pillar in the AlectraCARES sustainability framework. Additionally, sustainability issues are included as part of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s mandate. As a result, relevant departments within Alectra meet on a project-to-project basis for community energy initiatives. Information about the AlectraCARES sustainability framework can be found in Alectra’s sustainability report.

FortisBC has a clear corporate mandate to support community energy initiatives and partnerships.  Their Climate Action Partners program provides a number of resources to local governments, regional districts, and Indigenous communities. In September of 2019, FortisBC announced a 30BY30 target, to reduce customer emissions associated with energy by 30% by 2030.

The City of London publishes an annual Community Energy & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory that includes a detailed breakdown of energy use from multiple sectors. This inventory is supported by an NDA in place between The City of London and London Hydro for sharing annual inventory data.

Energy use mapping was completed as part of the City of Yellowknife’s Community Energy and Emissions Inventory, including GIS analysis to identify potential areas for district energy according to heat demand as well as maps for transportation and overall energy consumption. Energy use maps can be found in the Methodology section of the inventory in the CEP.

ATCO includes a detailed breakdown of emissions in its Annual Sustainability Report. In 2014, they committed to reduce GHG emissions from electricity generation to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

The Yellowknife Community Energy Plan was approved by Council in 2017, with actions that address land use, waste and water systems, and transportation assigned to specific groups. A public survey was conducted to determine objectives and priorities for energy planning. The 2015-2025 CEP is a renewal of the 2006-2014 CEP, and is set to be renewed at the end of the 10 year period it spans. 

The City of Campbell River was one of three pilot communities in the Getting To Implementation Initiative. The City’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan document was updated in 2016 with implementation in mind and includes a list of near-term priority actions. Like other municipalities participating in BC’s Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program, Campbell River reports annually on the community’s progress.

The Community Energy Investment Plan development process in the Town of Bridgwater employed a multi‐pronged approach to engage the community, including low-income residents, community organizations, local businesses and other stakeholders. Details are available on the Energize Bridgewater website.

The City of Calgary’s Climate Resilience Strategy is operating as a community energy plan. Actions indicate which business units are involved and who they will work with externally. The Strategy outlines a schedule of annual reporting, with a review and update one year in advance of four-year budgetary cycle. The Climate Panel continues to meet regularly, and the Calgary Climate Symposium is held annually.

ATCO’s Energy Education Mobile is a 40-foot classroom on wheels that travels throughout Alberta and helps educate youth on Alberta’s energy resources and the importance of energy efficiency.

BC Hydro reports on actions relating climate risk management in the Adaptation to Climate Change section of their Carbon Neutral Action Report. According to the 2018 report, BC Hydro is in the process of developing a climate change adaptation plan. Though the plan is still under development, the Carbon Neutral Action Report provides a high-level summary of their research on climate risks, and actions to address impacts such as investing in new technology and processes to improve response times during emergencies.

Enbridge conducted a study to assess the potential of demand-side management initiatives to influence future natural gas infrastructure investment

Alectra’s Drive for the Workplace program resulted in the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in Markham. Alectra owns and operates the equipment and manages the maintenance costs.

Grande Prairie’s new electric buses will save on maintenance costs and reduce emissions. A solar array will be used to supply the buses with green electricity.

The City of Sudbury, Ontario, has an extensive Transportation Demand Management Plan, which includes ongoing community engagement and a Community Grant Program.

10 municipalities in Quebec are part of a YHC Environnement Project, Projet SAUVéR, with the goal to establish a functional base for a green electric route in Quebec that will demonstrate the benefits of electric cars and car-sharing to the public.

Fleet greening plays a critical role in BC Hydro’s carbon neutral action planning. According to the 2018 Carbon Neutral Action Plan, BC Hydro’s green fleet consists of 86% electric and hybrid cars, 66% hybrids in the compact SUV class, 7% hybrids in the mid-size SUV segment and 14% electric forklifts. BC Hydro is developing a telematics program that will provide actionable operational data related to fuel use and driver behaviour, continuing to promote ride-sharing, and continuing to promote the use of shared vehicles across the province to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.