STATEMENT: Climate Action Plan a big advantage for Edmontonians  

CanREA welcomes the City of Edmonton’s Climate Resilience Planning and Development Action Plan, which will help ensure energy resilience, encourage onsite solar and storage, and support electrification as a key part of the energy transition.

Edmonton, Alberta, October 31, 2024—The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) congratulates the City of Edmonton on their proposed Climate Resilience Planning and Development Action Plan, which builds climate resilience and distributed energy resources (DERs) into urban planning and development activities.  

“The City of Edmonton has demonstrated foresight and proactivity in their Climate Resilience Planning and Development Action Plan, by incorporating actions that will help ensure long-term energy resilience in Edmonton. On the whole, this plan will support BTM solar and encourage electrification as a key part of the energy transition,” said Phil McKay, Executive Director of the Electricity Transition Hub, who also leads CanREA’s National BTM Solar and Storage Program. 

Behind-the meter (BTM) distributed energy resources (DERs) include rooftop solar panels and energy storage units installed in households and businesses. CanREA has long called for significant growth in the adoption of these technologies. Increased BTM DERs will help support a resilient, decarbonized electricity grid, as noted in our 2023 report, “BTM Solar: Canadian Market Outlook: How Behind-the-Meter (BTM) solar can contribute to Canada’s net-zero future.”  

The 15 actions proposed in the City of Edmonton’s Climate Resilience Planning and Development Acton Plan are:  

1. Streamline the permitting process for climate resilient development  
2. Incorporate EV-ready requirements into the Zoning Bylaw  
3. Incorporate solar-ready requirements into the Zoning Bylaw  
4. Pursue options for resilient landscaping practices on private property  
5. Update the Floodplain Protection Overlay in the Zoning Bylaw  
6. Introduce new regulations for wildfire risk areas in the Zoning Bylaw  
7. Incorporate climate resilient standards into the City’s Design and Construction Standards  
8. Pursue opportunities to bolster climate action through policy, regulatory and other planning tools  
9. Incorporate climate resilience into the Terms of Reference that guide new neighbourhood design  
10. Identify and pursue opportunities to enable development of low-carbon district energy systems  
11. Pursue options for preserving natural areas through neighbourhood design  
12. Develop a Climate Risk Index for Edmonton neighbourhoods  
13. Foster awareness of climate resilient development through public education & outreach  
14. Pursue opportunities to leverage grant funding for climate resilient development  
15. Build organizational change within Administration through education and collaboration 

CanREA singles out three of these 15 actions as particularly impactful in making low-cost solar power accessible to Edmonton residents. Streamlining the permitting process for climate-resilient development, identifying and pursuing opportunities to enable the development of low-carbon district energy systems and, especially, incorporating solar-ready requirements into zoning bylaws, demonstrate leadership in preparing Canadians for future climate and energy needs. 

“If new buildings are designed to be DER-ready from the start, property owners will have a more cost-effective and much easier time installing solar panels, batteries and electric vehicle chargers on their homes and businesses. This gives people the opportunity to generate and store their own power, saving money on their future energy bills. Investing a little up front will result in greater returns over the long term, in terms of resilience and sustainability,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, CanREA’s President and CEO. 

CanREA’s National BTM Solar and Storage Initiative advocates for strong BTM offerings across Canada. For more information on eligibility, contact CanREA’s member team.

Quotes

“If new buildings are designed to be DER-ready from the start, property owners will have a more cost-effective and much easier time installing solar panels, batteries and electric vehicle chargers on their homes and businesses. This gives people the opportunity to generate and store their own power, saving money on their future energy bills. Investing a little up front will result in greater returns over the long term, in terms of resilience and sustainability.”  

—Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) 

“The City of Edmonton has demonstrated foresight and proactivity in their Climate Resilience Planning and Development Action Plan, by incorporating actions that will help ensure long-term energy resilience in Edmonton. On the whole, this plan will support BTM solar and encourage electrification as a key part of the energy transition.”  

— Phil McKay, Executive Director, Electricity Transition Hub, and lead for CanREA’s National BTM Solar and Storage Program, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

For interview opportunities, please contact: 

Michaela Ianni, Communications Specialist 
Canadian Renewable Energy Association 
communications@renewablesassociation.ca 

About CanREA  

The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca.