IN BLOOM — Prime Minister Mark Carney released details of his highly anticipated electricity strategy, outlining plans to “double” Canada’s electricity grid and retrofit up to one million homes.
The strategy includes “important recognition that Canada cannot build an affordable electricity system through supply alone,” which Efficiency Canada has long stressed. Here’s our analysis of what the strategy could mean for energy efficiency:
SOWING SEEDS — Carney has repeatedly committed to refreshing Greener Homes incentives and even cited them in the electricity strategy. Efficiency Canada’s Brendan Haley outlines how Ottawa should deliver an improved program in this op-ed for the National Observer:
— Avoid another “boom-bust cycle”: Ottawa “must provide confidence that home retrofit supports will be available when Canadians need them,”Haley told The Energy Mix.
GREEN SHOOTS — The Senate made a fresh breakthrough in its months-long review of the Energy Efficiency Act in late May, bringing it one step closer to modernization.
The amendments include improvements that Efficiency Canada’s Sarah Riddell championed. She tells iPolitics more about the opportunity Ottawa has to strengthen standards:
National updates
“SAVE, BABY, SAVE” — So writes the National Observer‘s lead columnist in arguing that energy efficiency is also a nation-building project. With benefits to economic output, energy sovereignty, and affordability, energy efficiency “is a clear and uncomplicated win” that should be on Carney’s agenda. The column points to Efficiency Canada’s petition:
BUILDINGS MOMENTUM — Ottawa should dedicate greater focus on buildings and retrofits. Here’s why:
— Heating the planet: Buildings emit nearly 40 per cent of the world’s planet-warming emissions, says a new UN report. Stronger building codes lead to “lots of improvements,” and world governments must also focus on improving existing buildings, Efficiency Canada’s Betsy Agar tells CBC Radio.
— Clean materials: As Canada bolsters its building stock, it must embrace clean materials to slash emissions, according to a new report from Clean Energy Canada.
— Demand-side driver: Buildings are the largest scalable lever for turning clean electricity into emissions reductions, cost savings and grid flexibility, experts say.
— Canada’s retrofit mission: A coordinated mission would scale up the workforce, supply chains and technologies, say Agar and ReCover’s Brittany Davidson in this Efficiency Canada webinar.
Regional updates
BUILDINGS BACKPEDAL — Buildings are also under the spotlight in Vancouver, as the city mayor aims to repeal bylaws designed to phase out gas heating and electrify buildings to cut costs. But there’s little evidence that electrified buildings fetch a higher price, Agar tells Business In Vancouver.
POWER PRESSURES — Energy grids in northern Canada are facing a “perfect storm” of deteriorating infrastructure, growing electrical demand and unpredictable weather. The federal government must invest in the energy grid and amplify solutions like energy efficiency to ensure Canada’s long-term security, experts warn.