Canada Invests in a Net-Zero Roadmap to Support Electricity Modernization in Saint John

May 24, 2022         Saint John, New Brunswick           Natural Resources Canada      

Communities across Canada are advancing toward a sustainable, net-zero future. In New Brunswick, the Government of Canada is working with partners including local and Indigenous communities to scale up clean technology and enhance clean energy deployment. Investments in these sectors are critical to delivering good jobs while unlocking economic opportunities for generations ahead.

Today, Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John–Rothesay, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, announced nearly $4 million for Saint John Energy’s Zero30 initiative. This initiative includes developing a comprehensive net-zero roadmap to drive down operational emissions while advancing affordability by providing ratepayers with more innovative options.

The project will include working with key community stakeholders and partners, including First Nations, while assessing the methods and technologies needed to meet electrical load growth while reducing emissions. This will be achieved through deep scenario modelling on energy and pollution to support decision making on various emission reduction methods through an actionable roadmap for achieving net zero. The project will also support community-level decision making by making available data, summary studies and models to all stakeholders for greater dissemination.

Federal funding for this project is provided by Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs), with up to $1.56 billion over eight years for smart renewable energy and electrical grid modernization projects. This program is actively supporting the scaling of renewable energy capacity that will provide essential grid services while supporting Canada’s ongoing transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 and Canada’s commitment to achieve a 100-percent net-zero-emitting electricity system by 2035.

Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy ensures Canada will remain a world leader in clean power. Budget 2023 included $3 billion over 13 years to recapitalize funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program to support critical regional priorities and Indigenous-led projects.

Budget 2023 also includes $40 billion of historic investments in the grid. This vital investment will be delivered in three ways:

●  a 15 percent refundable tax credit for non-emitting, and fully abated, electricity generation and stationary electricity storage systems, including batteries and equipment for the transmission of electricity between provinces and territories

●  $20 billion in low-cost financing from the Canada Infrastructure Bank

●  targeted electricity programs, where needed, to ensure critical projects get built

From coast to coast to coast, communities across Canada are advancing toward a more sustainable and prosperous future.