Guided by the Climate Leadership Plan, the Government of Alberta is continuing to work towards addressing climate change in Alberta. To support these efforts, the Government of Alberta recently released the final report stemming from the work of the Energy Efficiency Advisory Panel, Getting it Right: A More Energy Efficient Alberta.
The creation of a new provincial agency, Energy Efficiency Alberta (EEA), was a core focus of the Energy Efficiency Advisory Panel. The Panel was tasked with developing a long-term vision for EEA, first stage energy efficiency and community energy systems programs, and initial education and outreach initiatives. The report includes a number of recommendations, including:
- The need for clear oversight and reporting requirements for Energy Efficiency Alberta
- The need for long-term funding to support the Agency and complementary funds contributing to energy efficiency and community renewable energy
- That EEA establish collaborative relationships with municipalities to building on existing initiatives, to leverage capacity, and share resources where possible
- The identification of initial programming and future program options
- Integration with utilities to advance energy efficiency and community energy systems in Alberta.
The AAMDC is quoted in the report as per our submission to the Panel, which stated:
Funding and resource supports dedicated to empower municipalities in implementing policy and operational improvements will benefit local communities and strengthen Alberta’s action taken to address climate change impacts. To increase capacity, municipalities would benefit from having additional resources available in the form of staff support, predeveloped toolkits, and access to approved vendors to implement energy efficiency improvements.
The EEA was recently launched with initial programs announced to support the installation of residential efficiency programs, rebates for efficient appliance, and incentives for high-efficiency retrofits of lighting, heating, cooling and hot water systems for businesses, non-profits and institutions.
Enquiries may be directed to:
Tasha Blumenthal
Policy Analyst
780.955.4095
Kim Heyman
Director, Advocacy & Communications
780.955.4079