Community Leagues are taking climate action to neighbourhoods all over Edmonton, Alberta.  About 50 of these local volunteer groups are taking action on climate change. This week on Green Energy Futures we talk to Laura Cunningham-Shelpeley of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues about so-called Green Leagues. 
Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Video Podcast
www.greenenergyfutures.ca

325. Green Leagues Bringing Climate Action to the Hoods

The Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative in Canmore, Alberta has just wrapped up its fourth solar project in just a few years. This is blazing fast progress for green energy cooperatives in Canada that must navigate a network of challenging provincial electrical systems.
We talk to Jeff Roberts about the coops success getting started in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta.

362. Bow Valley Green Energy Coop Takes Flight

The City of Medicine Hat has partnered with Decentralised Energy Canada to host the Energy Innovation Challenge, a tool they are using to navigate energy transition and transform new energy resources such as solar, EVs, batteries and managed loads into assets instead of liabilities.
GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast
Medicine Hat & The Energy Innovation Challenge: Navigating Energy Transition
Medicine Hat stands out in Alberta's energy landscape due to its independent, discrete electricity grid. This allows the city to implement innovative energy solutions and set its own rates and policies.
• Quote: "Medicine had, unlike other cities, has its own discrete electricity grid and sets their own rates and policies for residents so they can also implement creative energy transition solutions if it makes sense."
Key Program: Hat Smart
The Hat Smart program incentivizes residential energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption through rebates for devices, rooftop solar arrays, and water conservation measures.
• Impact: The program has provided $6.2 million in rebates since 2008 and led to a 14-16% reduction in water use this summer.
• Popularity: Rebates for rooftop solar arrays are fully subscribed by spring each year, highlighting the high demand for solar energy.
• Innovation: A new PACE-like financing option called the Clean Energy Improvement Program allows residents to invest in clean energy improvements and repay through property taxes.
• Quote: "We've just launched the clean energy improvement program and that it's really a financing option for residents to access top up payments to their property taxes essentially in order to do similar things in order to invest in rooftop solar or other sorts of clean energy improvement options at the household level"
Current Energy Mix & Transition Plans
Medicine Hat currently relies on three gas-fired power plants (300 MW capacity) and a 6 MW wind farm. They are actively exploring new energy transition avenues:
• Utility-scale solar: A 325 MW solar project within city limits is economically viable and under consideration, with a request to the Alberta Utilities Commission to build in stages due to its size.
• Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS): While Medicine Hat holds an exploration permit for a CCS hub, analysis suggests it is less economically viable than solar at present, with success hinging on carbon pricing.
• Energy Innovation Challenge: This initiative with Decentralized Energy Canada aims to generate solutions for managing increasing demand from EVs, heat pumps, and solar projects.
Quote: "We have found that utility scale wind and utility scale solar is economically viable today. So the city is currently looking at a utility scale solar array up to 325 megawatts of generation capacity within the urban limits of Medicine Hat. The city is looking at a whole host of other options including carbon capture and sequestration for hard to abate businesses."
Conclusion:
Medicine Hat demonstrates proactive leadership in transitioning to a cleaner energy future. Through programs like Hatsmart and exploration of large-scale renewables and CCS, the city provides a valuable case study for other municipalities seeking to decarbonize. The Energy Innovation Challenge further highlights their commitment to finding practical solutions for the evolving energy landscape.
#solar #windpower #electricity #energytransition #EV #electricvehicles #decentralizedenergy


385B. Medicine Hat's Energy Transition Journey & The Energy Innovation Challenge

This week on CKUA Radio's Green Energy Futures episode EnergieSprong means "Energy Leap." The idea is to retrofit every single building in the Netherlands to a net-zero standard by 2050. Sound crazy? It's early days, but they have already begun the work and it's a real game changer.  Learn more in our blog: http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/the-sprong-has-sprung

164. EnergieSprong - Making the leap to all net-zero super energy efficiency homes

This week on CKUA's Green Energy Futures podcast, we look at the ongoing push to add EnerGuide ratings to homes so buyers know what they are getting. See story and photos: http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/165-energuide

165. EnerGuide – The missing ingredient label for an energy efficiency home

This week on CKUA's Green Energy Energy Futures we visit Landmark Home's new affordable net-zero home just as they put the "0" gigajoule EnerGuide label on the home. As net-zero becomes affordable will solar-powered net-zero homes become the norm? We think they might! See video, blog and photos: http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/affordable_net-zero

168(b) Will affordable net-zero homes become the new norm?

PACE financing has generated $3.4 billion worth of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on buildings in the U.S. Brian Scott and Leigh Bond believe it could be the key to unleashing a wave of projects in Alberta. This week on CKUA's Green Energy Futures we talk to Scott and Bond about financing clean energy in Alberta. http://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/pace-financing-produced-3-4-billion-energy-efficiency-projects-u-s

169. PACE financing key to stimulating energy efficiency and renewable energy projects

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Three Nations Energy, a community-owned company in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta built a 2.2-megawatt solar project to replace 25% of the diesel-generated electricity in their remote off-grid community. The company is equally owned by Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations and the Fort Chipewyan Metis Association. See blog: www.greenenergyfutures.ca

265. Indigenous-owned Solar for Diesel in Fort Chipewyan

The CKUA Radio podcast of the GreenEnergyFutures.ca series. The multi-media series is hosted by David Dodge and tells the inspiring stories of Canadians involved in the green energy revolution.

385B. Medicine Hat's Energy Transition Journey & The Energy Innovation Challenge

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