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Hydro-Québec and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada to launch Canada's largest all-electric vehicle pilot project in the fall of 2010

Today, Hydro-Québec and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. (MMSCAN) announced the signature of a memorandum of understanding that will lead to the launch of Canada's largest all-electric vehicle pilot project this coming fall. In collaboration with the City of Boucherville, Hydro-Québec will test the performance of up to 50 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs, the vehicle which recently won the Japanese Car of the Year award for "Most Advanced Technology" at the Tokyo International Motor Show.

The project, which is evaluated at $4.5 million, aims to test the cars under a variety of road conditions, including those due to Québec's harsh winters and is designed to study the vehicles' charging behaviour, the driving experience and overall driver satisfaction. The project is the first of its kind to include the participation of a car manufacturer, a public utility, a municipality and local businesses that will integrate the vehicles into their existing fleets.

Thierry Vandal, Hydro-Québec's President and CEO declared "This new pilot project is part of our action plan for the electrification of vehicles [...] it will allow us to advance our knowledge of the technology and its integration into our grid, which in turn, will help us plan the necessary charging infrastructure for homes, offices and public places."

The City of Boucherville was selected as the project's host municipality given its proximity to Hydro-Québec's research institute (IREQ), its role in Hydro-Québec's upcoming interactive smart zone trial and the diversity of its local businesses. The availability of a local Mitsubishi dealership to oversee the i-MiEVs' maintenance was also part of the selection criteria.

i-MiEV, which stands for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle, is an all-electric, highway-capable, charge-at-home commuter car. Because the battery, the motor and other items are mounted out of the way beneath the floor, the i-MiEV seats four adults and offers surprising interior room and cargo space. Other i-MiEV features include excellent low-speed acceleration and a very low centre of gravity, which contributes to superior handling and stability. Moreover, the i-MiEV is extremely quiet.

"We are very proud to be leading the way to a greener, more sustainable future by developing environment-friendly vehicles fuelled by clean, renewable energy," said Koji Soga, President and CEO of MMSCAN. "Mitsubishi is a leader in electric car development and the i-MiEV represents the pinnacle of our green technologies. In the same sense, Hydro-Québec and the City of Boucherville are demonstrating their environmental leadership by participating in this unique initiative."

The electric vehicle pilot project comes ahead of the government of Québec's soon to be released 2010-2015 Electric Vehicle Action Plan, announced in June 2009 and which is expected to include incentives to get electric vehicles on Québec's roadways, as well as for car and component manufacturers to establish themselves further in the province.

Canadian government announces nineteen successful projects in response to a call for proposals under the Renewable and Clean Energy portion of the Clean Energy Fund

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced support for nineteen (19) projects selected in response to a call for proposals under the Renewable and Clean Energy portion of the Clean Energy Fund. Up to $146 million will be invested over five (5) years to support the demonstration of renewable and clean energy across the country, including integrated community energy solutions, smart grid technology, and renewable applications with solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy.

Under the Clean Energy Fund, part of the Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan (Budget 2009), the government is to invest almost $1 billion over five (5) years in research, development and demonstration projects to advance Canadian leadership in clean energy technologies. This includes large-scale carbon capture and storage demonstration projects, three (3) of which have already been announced totaling $466 million from the fund, as well as smaller-scale demonstration projects of renewable and alternative energy technologies such as those announced today. Total investments under the Clean Energy Fund for large and small demonstration projects are to benefit Canada's economy by leveraging nearly $3.5 billion in further investments by industry and other levels of government.

The Government is now inviting the project proponents to begin negotiations toward formal contribution agreements to set the conditions under which funding will be delivered. The funding amounts are expected to range from $2.5 million to $20 million for each project. However, until a written contribution agreement is signed by both parties, no commitment or obligation exists on the part of the Government of Canada to make a financial contribution to these projects.

Successful Project Descriptions

A) Projects expected to receive $2.5-$5 million

1. Biomass-based Urban Central Heating Demonstration
Lead proponent: SSQ, Société immobilière Inc.
Strategic Area: Buildings/Community Energy Systems
Location: Québec, Québec
Purpose: La Cité Verte is an innovative real estate project, which combines various initiatives related to sustainable development such as renewable energy utilization, energy efficient design, the management of water consumption, energy and waste management. The funding will support the installation of a biomass and wood-based district heating system. This project combines a variety of technologies and partners.

2. Utility-scale Electricity Storage Demonstration using New and Re-purposed Lithium Ion Automotive Batteries
Lead proponent: CEATI International Inc.
Strategic Area: Electricity Storage
Location: Toronto and Cornwall, Ontario, and Manitoba
Purpose: This project will address electricity storage for renewable and high-density urban applications. The project will demonstrate utility-scale electricity storage systems using new and re-purposed automotive batteries. This concept will reduce cost for electric vehicle batteries providing a future market to meet urban electricity demand using automotive batteries.

3. Energy Management Business Intelligence Platform Development and Demonstration
Lead proponent: Power Measurement Ltd.
Strategic Area: Smart Grid
Location: Commercial buildings in Calgary, Alberta, Ontario and BCIT in Burnaby, British Columbia
Purpose: This project will develop and demonstrate smart grid technology, voluntary load curtailment and peak shaving in a commercial building setting. Most projects of this type to date have focused on residences. This technology will also enable tenants to voluntarily reduce their demand based on real-time price signals.

4. Wind and Storage Demonstration in a First Nations Community
Lead proponent: Cowessess First Nation
Strategic Area: Wind/Storage
Location: Cowessess, Saskatchewan
Purpose: This project aims to demonstrate a combined wind and storage energy system in a First Nation community. The successful demonstration would prove this system as a model for other First Nation's communities across Canada.

5. Bioenergy Optimization Program Demonstration
Lead proponent: Manitoba Hydro
Strategic Area: Bioenergy
Location: Five locations in Manitoba
Purpose: This project is comprised of five different bioenergy systems at five different project sites. The project demonstrates collaboration between utility companies and customers. It is anticipated that the project will help to remove the perceived barrier of technical and operational risk and will promote the wide-scale adoption of bioenergy systems in Canada.

6. Offshore Wave Energy Demonstration
Lead proponent: SyncWave Systems Inc.
Strategic Area: Marine/Hydro
Location: Offshore Central Vancouver Island near Tofino, British Columbia
Purpose: This project will demonstrate the performance, operations and life cycle of a pre-commercial 100-kW wave energy device in ocean conditions typical of British Columbia's open coast. Canada has potentially significant wave energy resources, and it is important for Canada to participate in demonstrations to further the technology, understanding of ocean conditions and the regulatory environment.

7. Demonstration of Waste-heat Recovery at Compressor Stations
Lead proponent: Great Northern Power Corp.
Strategic Area: Hybrid Systems/Northern
Location: Compressor Stations in Alberta and British Columbia
Purpose: This project plans to demonstrate waste-heat recovery systems on a variety of stationary, reciprocating engines greater than 1,000 hp. A successful demonstration has the opportunity to lead to commercialization and wide-scale adoption of this technology at compressor stations and other industrial applications across Canada.

8. Residential Implementation of Solar-thermal Heating Systems
Lead proponent: Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.
Strategic Area: Buildings/Solar
Location: Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
Purpose: The project will use different types of solar collectors and storage technologies to verify and compare their costs, performance and technical qualities. The project has the ability to validate the technology and provide integrated systems at a lower cost to consumers, thereby allowing greater market penetration.

9. Food and Yard Waste Anaerobic Digestion to Electricity Demonstration
Lead proponent: Harvest Power Canada Ltd.
Strategic Area: Bioenergy
Location: Fraser Richmond Soil and Fibre, British Columbia
Purpose: This project would be Canada's first high-efficiency system for producing up to 1 MW of renewable energy from food and yard waste. If successful, this technology has the potential to be rapidly deployed across Canada as a mechanism to divert food wastes from landfills and produce renewable energy.

B) Projects expected to receive $5-$10 million

10. Demonstration of Heat and Power from Biomass Gasification
Lead proponent: Nexterra Systems Corp.
Strategic Area: Bioenergy
Location: UBC Point Grey Campus, Vancouver, British Columbia
Purpose: This project will showcase biomass gasification integrated with an internal combustion engine generator in a novel, small-scale combined heat and power demonstration suited for on-site applications at public institutions, industrial facilities, and northern and remote Canadian communities. The project has the potential to overcome the difficulty of gas clean up and opens up the possibility of significant replication in Canada and overseas.

11. Energy Storage and Demand Response for Near-capacity Substation
Lead proponent: BC Hydro
Strategic Area: Smart Grid/Electricity Storage
Location: Golden and Field, British Columbia
Purpose: This project demonstrates the integration of energy storage as a mechanism for reducing electricity demand at near-peak capacity substations. This type of solution has the ability to be used in other remote communities where the grid reliability is low and the cost of the transmission line upgrade is uneconomical.

12. Interactive Smart Zone Demonstration in Québec
Lead proponent: Hydro-Québec - Institut de recherche
Strategic Area: Smart Grid
Location: Boucherville, Québec
Purpose: This project will ensure the installation of an interactive network area in a neighbourhood of Boucherville. This will demonstrate different technologies and concepts related to modernization of electrical networks, in particular the deployment of infrastructure for charging electric and hybrid rechargeable vehicles.

13. Biomass and Coal Co-firing Demonstration in Coal Plants
Lead proponent: Nova Scotia Power
Strategic Area: Bioenergy
Location: Coal Plants in Nova Scotia
Purpose: This demonstration project aims to determine optimum fuel blends for the potential co-firing of wood-based biomass with coal as a mechanism to partially replace fossil fuels with sustainable energy sources in coal plants. If successful, there is potential for wide-scale implementation across Canada and the United States.

C) Projects expected to receive $10-$20 million

14. Tidal Energy Project in the Bay of Fundy
Lead proponent: Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE)
Strategic Area: Marine/Hydro
Location: Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia
Purpose: The project plans to validate the performance and resilience of tidal current turbines in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy. This will be the first Canadian deployment of commercial-scale tidal turbines. The project has the potential to advance tidal energy in Canada, provide economic impacts in the Atlantic region and place Canada as a world leader in marine renewable energy.

15. Northern Application of a Geothermal District Heating System
Lead proponent: City of Yellowknife
Strategic Area: Northern/Community Energy System
Location: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Purpose: The City of Yellowknife is in advanced stages of project engineering and plans to install a district heating system by extracting heat from the abandoned Con Mine. This project has the potential to provide a cost effective and a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel based heat. The information that will come out of this project on the effect of extracting ground-source heat from an existing aquifer and its associated long-term heat capacity will help determine if this technology could be replicated in other northern communities.

16. Electricity Load Control Demonstration
Lead proponent: New Brunswick Power Corporation
Strategic Area: Smart Grid
Location: Four maritime communities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
Purpose: Traditionally, to accommodate the intermittent nature of wind power, other generation sources are required to follow the net effect of variation in load and wind power production. This project focuses on the integration between smart grid technologies, customer loads and intermittent renewables in a region with potentially significant renewable electricity capacity. It will allow utilities to better understand how customers will react to smart grid and which loads can be controlled by real-time demand balancing in up to 750 buildings, thereby assisting these utilities to capitalize on renewable resources in the region.

17. A 9-MW Wind Technology Research and Development Park
Lead proponent: Wind Energy Institute of Canada
Strategic Area: Wind/Storage
Location: Prince Edward Island
Purpose: The 9-MW wind park proposed will be the first wind/storage combination in Prince Edward Island. The project's research base has a strong focus on information dissemination and would be a good base for supporting additional wind research.

18. Demonstration of Fish-friendly and VLH Turbines in Existing Low-head Water-control Dams
Lead proponent: Eco Joule Inc.
Strategic Area: Marine/Hydro
Location: Mississippi River System, Ontario
Purpose: This project will demonstrate three in-stream hydro technologies including fish-friendly, low-head hydro turbines along an existing water-controlled river system in Ontario. It has the opportunity to prove the technology concept, demonstrate cooperation with a conservation organization, and reduce the barriers to commercialization.

19. Community-based Geothermal Demonstration in a Remote First Nations Community
Lead proponent: Borealis GeoPower Inc./Acho Dene Koe First Nation
Strategic Area: Hybrid Systems/Northern
Location: Fort Liard, Northwest Territories
Purpose: This project will demonstrate how a northern community can use a geothermal resource to generate electricity and heat, thereby reducing the entire community's fossil fuel demand and energy costs. A successful demonstration will provide a model for other northern and First Nations communities with available geothermal resources.

Québec applies California Standards to Light Vehicle GHG Emissions

On December 29, 2009, Ms. Line Beauchamp, Québec's Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, announced that the Regulation respecting greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, whose standards are equivalent to those in force in California, was to come into effect in mid-January 2010. Québec thus becomes the first Canadian province to apply North America's strictest automotive emissions standards and joins an ongoing North American movement that has seen some fifteen (15) American states, including a majority of the province's northeast neighbours, follow California's lead. The U.S. federal government has also announced its intention to adopt California-equivalent standards in 2012.

The Regulation applies to all cars and light trucks sold, leased or marketed in Québec from the 2010 model year onward and most notably sets out a table of gradually diminishing maximum GHG emissions standards for large volume manufacturer vehicles for model years 2009-2016. In addition, the Regulation establishes a system of credits and debits whereby beginning with the 2010 model year for large volume manufacturers and the 2016 model year for other manufacturers, a fee of $5,000 per vehicle equivalent is payable for any excess over the maximum emissions standards. All sums thereby obtained are paid into the province's Green Fund, established by section 15.1 of the Act respecting the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs.

At 40% of the province's total GHG emissions, of which nearly half are due to Light Vehicles, the transportation sector is Québec's most important emitter. The Regulation's coming into effect thus constitutes an important step towards realizing the goals of the province's 2006-2012 Climate Change Action Plan, and is a determinant factor in reaching its 2020 GHG emission reduction target as well.

It is expected that in addition to encouraging the large scale use of more energy efficient technologies in the transportation sector, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, the Regulation will foster a more rational use of non-renewable petroleum resources, thereby decreasing Québec's overall dependence on fossil fuels.

First Power Solar Project: Clean Energy for First Nations Communities

Today at the 2009 Solar Conference, the Government of Canada announced an investment of up to $1 million in the First Power solar project through its ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat program. In addition to the federal government's commitment, First Power is also being supported by Solar BC and several financial institutions, including the All Nations Trust Company.

The First Power project will support the installation of domestic solar water heating systems in up to 900 homes, with a focus on remote First Nations communities.

First Power, which will leverage millions of dollars in additional funding to complete its projects, is a partnership between Taylor Munro Energy Systems and the Centre for Integral Economics. This unique hybrid business is designed to support First Nations communities to gain access to and ownership of renewable energy and clean technologies. The project intends to replace diesel power generation by energy systems that deliver all the heat, light and power a community requires through renewables.

Making the announcement on behalf of Minister Lisa Raitt was Senator Linda Frum, who declared: "This investment will generate new economic activity in First Nations communities, while reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions [...] Investing in projects like this will stimulate the growth of a domestic clean energy industry, create high-quality jobs for Canadians and help protect our environment."

Donna Morton, President of the Centre for Integral Economics added: "We believe that First Nations can take ownership of renewable energy and clean technology systems through orally taught training [...] Autonomous energy can give First Nations in Canada both a leading role in building green collar jobs and economic development that respects ancestors, elders and the future."

CCEMC Announces Project Funding for 30 Clean and Green Projects

The Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation ("CCEMC") issued a press release this week that of the 223 projects submitted in its EOI process, thirty clean and green projects were being asked to submit Full Project Proposals under the CCEMC's 2009 Call for Proposals: Initial Full Project Proposal Stage.

The CCEMC has up to $120 million available for clean, green projects which address energy conservation and efficiency, greening energy production and carbon capture and sequestration. The CCEMC's Chair, Eric Newell, commented that "clean technologies will reduce emissions and enhance the economic and environmental value of energy resources - by supporting ideas and initiatives at the leading edge of the green economy, we will reduce emissions, and in the process, support green jobs".

The CCEMC's announcement demonstrates its commitment to technology, conservation and greening the energy mix. The projects and investments the CCEMC will be making, which are demonstrated in the projects being selected to move to the Full Project Proposal Stage, undoubtedly have collateral benefits associated with the establishment of green jobs and the development of the green economy.

Stay tuned - we'll keep you up to date on the CCEMC's process and the projects being selected to move forward.

International Energy Agency launches World Energy Outlook 2009 in London

The International Energy Agency>International Energy Agency ("IEA") today launched its annual flagship publication in London. The World Energy Outlook 2009 (WEO 2009) looks at the impact of the economic downturn on energy use, CO2 emissions and energy investment and what will be required at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen to put together an agreement that stops global temperatures rising at a price that is affordable. The WEO 2009 also focuses on the natural gas resource base, current trends and the role gas will play in the future energy mix. Finally, the publication includes a review of energy in Southeast Asia, looking at that fast-growing region and its implications for global energy markets.

The IEA's Executive Director, Mr. Nobuo Tanaka declared that "World leaders gathering in Copenhagen next month for the UN Climate summit have a historic opportunity to avert the worst effects of climate change. The World Energy Outlook 2009 seeks to add momentum to their negotiations at this crucial stage by detailing the practical steps needed for a sustainable energy future as part of a global climate deal" and added that "WEO 2009 provides both a caution and grounds for optimism. Caution, because a continuation of current trends in energy use puts the world on track for a rise in temperature of up to 6°C and poses serious threats to global energy security. Optimism, because there are cost-effective solutions to avoid severe climate change while also enhancing energy security - and these are within reach as the new Outlook shows".

In conjunction with the WEO 2009, the IEA has also released an Executive Summary which provides an overview of the publication's key findings and topics, as well as a Fact Sheet, which provides data in a bullet-point format on the following questions and issues: (1) The sustainability of our current energy pathway; (2) The Impact of the financial crisis on Energy Investment (3) Natural gas' role in the global energy mix; (4) What a low-carbon energy future might look like; (5) The impact of the financial crisis on the outlook for CO2 emissions and global climate; (6) Assumptions on Energy Prices, volatility and the future of cheap energy.

Copies of the World Energy Outlook 2009 can be ordered from the IEA Bookshop.

223 Proponents Apply for CCEMC Funding

The Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation ("CCEMC") issued its 2009 Call for Proposals: Initial Expression of Interest Stage (the "EOI") on August 5, 2009. The response to the EOI has been, to say the least, overwhelming. According to the CCEMC website, 223 proponents have requested funding from the CCEMC for a total ask of $1.6 Billion Dollars.

This is astounding news. Why you ask? Keep reading.

What Does It Mean?

1. The response to the EOI has been overwhelming. Remember that the CCEMC was only incorporated in February. The Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund Administration Regulation, which delegates the powers, duties and functions of the Minister of Environment (Alberta) to the CCEMC was only enacted in May, 2009. That in less than a year the CCEMC has been able to request EOIs and receive responses from 223 proponents is staggering.

2. The sheer number of proponents and amount of the ask demonstrates how interested Albertans and Industry in Alberta are in climate change technology and initiatives. There's a lot going on in Alberta right now in the area of climate change initiatives as evidenced by the fact 223 proponents have applied for funding.

3. The number of proponents and the success of this first EOI shows that Alberta Environment and the Government of Alberta were absolutely right in anticipating and recognizing the importance of establishing a climate change technology fund and the structure of the CCEMC. (For more information on the importance and uniqueness of the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund, click here.

4. The CCEMC has up to $120 million for project funding for the 2009 Call for Proposals. Up to 50 percent of monies will be invested in green energy production, 20 percent in energy conservation and energy efficiency and 30 percent in implementing carbon capture and storage. Although there is only $120 Million available at this time, there will be further rounds of calls for proposals as more funds are received from the current and future compliance years. The CCEMC will consider the EOIs and the funding envelopes outlined above and select the very best for the full proposal stage.

5. The fact that the CCEMC is through the first stage in its process for calling for projects is a first in Canada and is clearly the most significant event in the world of climate change innovation in this country. The model for climate change funding in Alberta is working to create action.

The evaluation of the EOIs received by the CCEMC is currently in progress. Proponents whose projects are being selected to submit full project proposals will be notified by November 13, 2009. An annoucement of those selected to submit full project proposals will be made shortly thereafter....just in time for the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Copenhagen in December. Alberta will truly have the technology fund showpiece at the conference and has much to be proud of.

Waste-to-biofuels plant to use residual heat and synthetic gas from its process as heating and cooling energy for residents and institutions on outskirts of Edmonton

Enerkem, a waste-to-biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today jointly announced a community energy initiative that will heat a Strathcona County neighbourhood, using the residual heat and synthetic gas from its process employed at its Edmonton waste-to-biofuels plant. On hand for the joint announcement were Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner, City of Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, and Strathcona County Mayor Cathy Olesen.
Enerkem's community energy project received $7.45 million grant funding from the Government of Alberta from the Clean Air and Climate Change-Technology and Innovation Program, under Alberta's share of the Canada ecoTrust. The project was selected because of its great potential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the Edmonton Region, by providing a clean alternative source of energy.
The Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels plant will provide the residual heat and synthetic gas from its process as heating and cooling energy for residents and institutions in the Emerald Hills area. Strathcona County will use the innovative alternative to natural gas in a heating loop in Sherwood Park. Once operational in 2012, the Enerkem renewable energy project will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 7,000 tonnes per year.

CN unveils on-line GHG Emissions Calculator to allow customers to assess transportation carbon footprint

CN today unveiled an upgraded on-line greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) calculator that estimates total carbon emissions for shipments across multiple modes of transportation.
CN, recognized as the most fuel-efficient railway in North America, provides the free on-line GHG calculator to the general public on its website. Upon entering basic shipment point-to-point information, the tool generates carbon-emission estimates using a combination of vessel, rail and truck, such as containers moving internationally from Asia to North American destinations along CN's network or domestic shipments using a combination of rail and truck or a single mode of transportation.
The GHG calculator allows manufacturers, importers, exporters, shippers, wholesalers or retailers to assess the carbon footprint of their shipments using single or multiple modes of transportation. Use of the GHG calculator to estimate GHG emissions makes clear the environmental advantage of rail over truck, which has been shown to be up to six times more energy-efficient, because rail consumes a fraction of the fuel to transport one tonne of freight one kilometre. In fact, CN claims that it can move one tonne of freight 197 kilometres on just one litre of fuel. Certainly a convincing argument to invest in the North-American rail system!
In addition to being a powerful environmental conscience-raising initiative, dissemination and use of such tools once again demonstrates the growing competitive advantage that reducing one's carbon emissions represents.

U.S. - Canada Clean Energy Dialogue - First Report

Yesterday Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu delivered an update on the two nations' clean energy dialogue (CED), which was first announced when President Obama met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa this past February. The release of the report coincided with Prime Minister Harper's meeting in Washington D.C. with President Obama at which energy was on the agenda and after which Harper reminded the U.S. at a press briefing that: "[...] Canada is by far the largest supplier of energy to the United States. And [it is] determined to be a continental partner in dealing with the [...] linked problems of climate change and energy security [...]".

The three key areas on which Harper and Obama had asked their respective delegates to work together on under the auspices of the CED were: (1) The development and deployment of clean energy technology; (2) the building of a more efficient energy grid, based on clean and renewable generation; and (3) expanding R&D into clean energy.

As part of the countries' collaboration on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), the report states that the countries will expand on existing collaboration in CO2 injection and storage testing, share information from large-scale CCS demonstration projects such as the Weyburn-Midale project in Saskatchewan, in which carbon dioxide is piped from the Great Plains Synfuels plant in North Dakota to an oilfield operated by EnCana and injected for use in enhanced oil recovery. The report goes on to insist on working towards a consistent regulatory framework between the countries, which would include compatible CCS project rules, standards, and monitoring, as well as verification and accounting principles. Bilateral meetings between Canadian and American CCS experts are planned in mid-2010 and 2011 to share best practices and provide updates on joint activities. The two nations intend to form the "Canada-U.S. CCS Collaboration" under the existing Trilateral Energy Science and Technology Agreement, which also includes Mexico and hope to formalize the arrangement through an implementation agreement by the end of 2009.

As a result of the continued growth in electricity demand, collaboration between the two nations regarding the North American power grid will focus on the open exchange of information and electricity research, development and deployment (RD&D), reliability standards, cyber security and interoperability guidelines. Upgrades to the electric power grid will aim to increase its efficiency and promote connection to clean energy sources, as well as the use of clean energy technologies.

Joint commitments regarding Clean Energy RD&D are meant to boost economic opportunities for the CED partners and the two are to develop a "Clean Energy RD&D Collaboration Framework" and a technology roadmap which would allow both nations to meet their respective 2050 greenhouse gas reduction targets. The Framework and Roadmap would notably foster a unique North American market through common codes, standards and incentives, along with collaborative research and development, sharing of information , facilities and scientific infrastructure.

The Canadian Environment Minister and U.S. Energy Secretary are expected to release the next CED report in the spring of 2010, ahead of the next bilateral meetings.

US to tighten mileage standards and regulate CO2 emissions from vehicles

By 2016, U.S. automakers may be required to raise the fuel efficiency of their vehicles to a fleet-wide average to 35.5 miles per gallon while lowering CO2 emissions intensity to a fleet-wide average of 250 grams per mile. Manufacturers of passenger cars, light-duty-trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles will have to implement technological improvements to improve efficiency by about 5% per year, beginning in 2012. If approved, this national standard would represent a significant incremental strengthening of regulations that has the potential to help address climate change, reduce dependency on foreign oil, and create jobs. Given the integration of the North American auto industry, it will also be relevant to Canadian players in the sector.

The proposal ((the details of which are available online) was jointly drafted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Transportation Safety Authority ("NHTSA") and the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"). According to the joint notice released by the two agencies, the plan "is consistent with the President's announcement on May 19, 2009 of a National Fuel Efficiency Policy of establishing consistent, harmonized, and streamlined requirements that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for all new cars and light-duty trucks sold in the United States." The proposal was developed with input from automakers, union leaders, environmentalists, and state and local leaders.

Division of regulatory responsibility

Under the program, mile-per-gallon requirements will be enacted under the NHTSA Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards. The grams per mile requirements will be enacted under the Clean Air Act by the EPA pursuant to its authority (and obligation) to regulate greenhouse gases as recognized in 549 U.S. 497 (2007).

In Massachusetts v. EPA, the Supreme Court opined that the direct linkage between fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions, and the DOT's recognized authority to regulate the former, "in no way licenses EPA to shirk its environmental responsibilities. EPA has been charged with protecting the public"s 'health' and 'welfare', a statutory obligation wholly independent of DOT's mandate to promote energy efficiency." The Court concluded that "[t]he two obligations may overlap, but there is no reason to think the two agencies cannot both administer their obligations and yet avoid inconsistency."

Expected benefits

The program is forecasted to deliver the following benefits:

• reduce total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by approximately 950 million metric tons over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in model years 2012 through 2016;
• reduce GHG emissions from the U.S. light-duty fleet by approximately 21 % by 2030 over the level that would occur in the absence of the program;
• save about 1.8 billion barrels of oil savings over the lifetime of vehicles sold in model years 2012 through 2016;
• improve energy security, given that light-duty vehicles are about 95 percent dependent on oil-based fuels;
• produce a net economic benefit of about $250 billion at a 3% discount rate, or $195 billion at a 7% discount rate.

The EPA and NHTSA estimate that the average cost increase for a model year 2016 vehicle due to the program will be less than US$1,100.

The program is also expected to be the stick that complements carrots offered under financial stimulus programs directed at the auto sector. Manufacturers will have a specific technical problem to tackle with the assistance of stimulus dollars.

Flexibility or loopholes

In response to concerns expressed by the auto sector, the EPA included features in the emissions part of the program that are being described by some of offering "flexibility" and by others as constituting "loopholes". Specifically, the program includes averaging, banking, trading ("ABT") provisions.

Averaging means that manufacturers will calculate production-weighted fleet average emissions at the end of the model year and compare their fleet average with a fleet average standard to determine compliance. If a manufacturer's average is better than the average standard, credits will be created that can be used in four ways:

• remedy deficits in previous compliance years;
• bank for use in future compliance years;
• transfer to other compliance category within the manufacturer's operations; or
• trade to other manufacturers.

According to the EPA, the ABT provisions are "generally consistent with those included in the CAFE program" (although the CAFE program limits the use of credits in some circumstances) and has "been an important part of many mobile source programs under Clean Air Act Title II, both for fuels programs as well as for engine and vehicle program." The EPA notes that "ABT is an integral part of the standard setting itself, and is not just an add-on to help reduce costs. In many cases, ABT resolves issues of lead-time or technical feasibility, allowing EPA to set a standard that is either numerically more stringent or goes into effect earlier than could have been justified otherwise."

Implications for Canada

Back in March 2009, Environment Minister Jim Prentice indicated that Canada would likely follow the U.S.'s lead: "At this point in the United States, it would appear as though they are headed toward a 35 mile a gallon standard by 2020 and that would start to come into effect in the 2011 model year...We've essentially been prepared to go in that same direction...what we're striving for is a North American standard because we know there's only one North American automobile industry."

Canadian auto and parts manufacturers should therefore expect to be required to meet the same standard. Given the integration of the industry across North America, they will have to do so whether or not Canada enacts similar regulations.

Canadians players may be at somewhat of a competitive disadvantage given the scale of the stimulus money that will likely be made available to their U.S. competitors.

Self-Sustaining, Zero CO2 Emissions EcoPlus Home Project Breaks Ground in New Brunswick

Can a family of six live their everyday life without using fossil fuels for a whole year? That is the question that the Eco Plus Home project in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada, seeks to answer. The project intendeds to demonstrate how a family can live self sustained in a fully fitted showcase house for one year starting this September. The energy balances of the household consumptions will regularly be published on the EcoPlusHome website, which will also allow the family to share their experience with the public.

Commercially available building technology and household appliances for the showcase house are provided by the Bosch Group. These consist of an electric heat pump, a solar thermal system, a photovoltaic system as well as energy-efficient home appliances including an oven, a refrigerator, a dishwasher, a coffee maker, a washing machine and a dryer. The solar thermal system will generate heat and hot water from free solar radiation, while the heat pump uses geothermal energy. Although the heat pump needs electricity to run, the photovoltaic system will generate much more CO2-free electricity in the course of the year than the heat pump will consume. It is even planned to operate an electric car. Excess electricity will be fed into the public grid and withdrawn when needed. According to the project sponsors, it will be possible for the family to live comfortably in the house even through the harsh Canadian winter, when temperatures drop to minus 30 degrees, all the while still achieving a positive energy balance. CO2 emissions from the Eco Plus Home will be close to zero, whereas a conventional home produces an average of 8 tons of CO2 per year.

The home itself is being provided by Maple Leaf Homes, a Canadian manufacturer of prefabricated homes. When planning the showcase house, emphasis was placed on sustainability without loss of comfort and on the price-performance ratio. Once the experiment is over, similar houses will be offered in the U.S. and Canadian markets.

U.S. Senators Pen Letter of Warning on American Climate Bill

Ten Democratic Senators sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday last week (August 6) advising that they would not support a climate bill which did not contain provisions to maintain a level playing field for American manufacturing.

Does the letter call the potential success of the U.S. climate bill into question?

The Senators represent midwestern coal producing states. According to the New York Times, without the support of these Democratic Senators, "it is unlikely that the Senate can pass a major climate change bill". As we've reported to you before, the American climate change bill narrowly passed through the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of June. The bill is now moving slowly through the Senate, which is also preoccupied with debates about health reform.

The Senators, Evan Bayh of Indiana; Sherrod Brown of Ohio; Robert C. Byrd and John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia; Bob Casey and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania; Russ Feingold of Wisconsin; Al Franken of Minnesota; and Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, warn:

"It is essential that any clean energy legislation not only address the crisis of climate change, but include strong provisions to ensure the strength and viability of domestic manufacturing. Further, any climate change legislation must prevent the export of jobs and related greenhouse gas emissions to countries that fail to take actions to combat the threat of global warming comparable to those taken by the United States....In addition a longer term border adjustment mechanism is a vital part of this package to prevent the relocation of carbon emissions and industries if other major emitting carbon countries fail to commit to an international agreement requiring commensurate action on climate change. "

The letter continues to focus on the "border adjustment mechanism" (read: tariff) and suggests that the mechanism could spur countries to reach a global accord in Copenhagen in December "by eliminating the competitive benefit of not acting to address this global problem". The letter concludes "[w]e would find it extremely difficult to support a final measure that does not effectively deal with these important measures. We look forward to working with you and your Administration to ensure that climate change legislation does not produce an international race to the bottom".

Does this letter spell p-r-o-t-e-c-t-i-o-n-i-s-m? Certainly sounds like it. In fact, President Obama confirmed that he was concerned about the letter, calling the tariff provision "potentially protectionist".

This is a serious situation for the President, who has pleged to lead the world to a new treaty in Copenhagen. The newly elected President shot out of the proverbial climate change gate early in his term passing energy efficency and conservation reforms and promising aggressive domestic legislation. The problem is "to get the legislation passed will require compromises aimed at protecting the economies of manufacturing and coal states".

Are countries, such as India and China, faced with a "border measurement adjustment" going to be in a negotiating mood in Copenhagen? Can't imagine they will. Will other Senators whose interests differ from those 10 who penned the letter have their own demands? Can't imagine they won't.

How does this affect Canada?

We know that the Canadian federal government is already closely monitoring the progress of the U.S. climate bill for evidence of protectionist policy. Canada has vowed that its climate change policy will align (although not mirror) that of its largest trading partner. If these Senators have their way and protectionism of the nature they are suggesting is introduced into the U.S. climate bill, Canada's response is going to have to be carefully crafted.

Stay tuned. We'll keep you posted.

BC Green Agenda Hits Big Bump

British Columbia's Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean Energy Leadership hit a bit of a wall yesterday when it was rejected by the BC Utilities Commission as being "not in the public interest" - in other words, it's going to cost a lot of money and we're not interested. British Columbia, which is a member of the U.S. based Western Climate Initiative, had set aggressive GHG emissions reductions targets of 33% below 2007 levels by 2020. The Globe and Mail reported that "[s]ome analysts say the ruling - which shocked the government and the stock market - indicates B.C. has been over-estimating the amount of power the province needs in order to justify the development of independent power projects". A spokeswoman for the Canadian Office of Provincial Employees Union, COPE, stated "[w]e have a very flawed energy plan in this province ... the government cannot continue to exaggerate the need for power".

The BC Energy Plan claimed to put British Columbia at the forefront of environmental and economic leadership, by looking to all forms of clean, alternative energy in meeting British Columbians' needs in the provincial economy. The Plan called for a number of green initiatives, including:

• Zero greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired electricity generation
• All new electricity generation projects will have zero net greenhouse gas emissions
• Ensure clean or renewable electricity generation continues to account for at least 90 per cent of total generation
• Achieve electricity self-sufficiency by 2016
• Generate electricity from mountain pine beetle wood by turning wood waste into energy
• Invest $89 million for fuelling stations and the world's first fleet of 20 fuel cell buses through a federal-provincial partnership

What the report doesn't say is that a massive capital (read: expensive) outlay is going to have to be made in order to implement the plan. But before the plan could be truly put into action, the BC Utilities Commission had to essentially approve it. The Utilities Commission Decision includes a refusal "to allow BC Hydro to downgrade the Burrard Generating Station. Burrard is a conventional thermal plant fuelled by natural gas that supplements hydroelectric generation in years of low water flows". As part of its Energy Plan, BC Hydro wanted to rate that station as capable of producing a maximum of 3,000 gigawatt hours annually. The Utilities Commission disagreed, concluding said the figure should be 5,000 GWh. If the Burrard potential is rated 2,000 GWh higher, then the need for private power would have to drop by the same amount.

It wasn't all bad news for the BC Government. The Commission approved all but $2 million of the $630 million spend requested by BC Hydro, including $418-million on demand side management. The Energy Minister downplayed the significance of the decision and confirmed that the province is committed to producing clean, renewable energy through independent power producers.

However, the decision raises a couple of issues:

1. BC is going to have to take a long look at its targets, whether they are reasonable and whether the need for power is as stated.

2. What does the Utilities Commission's rejection of the clean energy call mean for the future of green energy in BC? What is the tolerance level of British Columbians in terms of the spend? The Utilities Commission doesn't think it's as high as the government does.

3. What's more important - reducing emissions and using "clean" energy or ensuing the economy is stable and humming (no pun intended) along? Not to mention that sustainable/renewable/clean energy projects don't come without their own high environmental cost.

We'll keep you posted on how this is all playing out.

Clean Energy Dialogue Roundtable Meeting Concludes

The Clean Energy Dialogue between Canada and the United States continued this week as meetings between the two nations wrapped up in Washington.

The public-private meeting, held June 29-30 at the Department of Energy Headquarters in Washington, DC, brought together industry and government leaders to expand bilateral clean energy cooperation.

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu expressed optimism following the talks, stating that "by working together to develop clean energy technologies and combat climate change, the United States and Canada can spark an economic recovery that will benefit both of our nations."

The Clean Energy Dialogue was announced in February 2009 following the first meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama in Ottawa. Established with the intention of expanding clean energy research and development in the United States and Canada, the Clean Energy Dialogue strives to develop and deploy clean energy technology; and build a more efficient energy grid based on clean and renewable energy in an effort to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change.

The meeting marks a significant advancement in implementing Canada's Climate Change Plan and Economic Action Plan, both aimed at supporting a cleaner more sustainable environment. Through promised collaboration on specific areas such as biofuels, clean engines, and energy efficiency, the Clean Energy Dialogue will help Canada meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and aid its commitment to ensure that 90 percent of electricity be provided by non-emitting sources by 2020.

Discussions at the Roundtable meeting involved the initial development of an Action Plan to be presented to Minister Prentice and Secretary Chu in mid-July. The expected deadline to present a finalized joint Action Plan on Clean Energy to Prime Minister Harper and President Obama is August 2009. Consultation with the provinces and private sector leaders will continue over the next few months to achieve such goal. If all of these milestones are met, momentum towards Copenhagen in December will be at an all time high.

We will continue to monitor the Clean Energy Dialogue and will report back to you regarding the Action Plan and provincial consultations as information becomes available.

With assitance from Corie Flett, Summer Student.

The Harmonization of Climate Change

Since you've been waiting with bated breath to find out what we had to say next about the federal and provincial climate change policies, we didn't want to keep you in suspense. We blogged on Monday that the provinces are throwing together climate change legislation faster than you can say "greenhouse gases".

In related news, yesterday the Globe and Mail reported that the Alberta Conservatives are taking their federal counterparts to task over energy and environment, treatment of the oil sands and other federal government policies. The controversy arises after speaking notes prepared for Conservative MLAs to raise with federal MPs in their home ridings found their way into media hands.

A significant bone of contention for Alberta's governing party appears to be with respect to the federal government's climate change policies as they relate to coal-fired electricity. In a meeting with media on April 29, Minister Prentice was asked about what types of regulations Canada would be rolling out with respect to climate change, and specifically what its policy around thermal-coal would be. The Minister replied that any new coal-fired plants will have to be neutral in terms of emissions, (which means they must have the ability to inject the carbon dioxide at the source underground). He also indicated that once coal-fired electricity plants that have come to the end of their useful lives, and have been fully depreciated, they will be decommissioned and replaced with more environmentally friendly options.

Unfortunately, the announcement appears to have been the first time the information was relayed to Alberta. Why is this so significant for Alberta in particular? Alberta relies on coal for electricity. Virtually all of the country's 27 coal plants are here. We do not have hydro in Alberta and we rely only minimally on renewables, so thermal coal is rather important for keeping the lights on. A policy such as the one outlined by the Minister means that Alberta may "shoulder the biggest burden in complying with these regulations - and depending on how they are formulated, they could have a significant impact on the health of the provincial economy". Premier Stelmach may agree. He was quoted in the Globe article as saying "You cannot ask Albertans to carry the burden of equalization, and then also penalize them for producing the wealth that allows us to make such a massive contribution to the programs that Canadians enjoy".

While the Globe story points to the issue as being one of a frayed relationship between Alberta and Ottawa, really the problem is one of harmony of regulation, not relationship.

As Canadians, we are seeking solutions to climate change at the provincial level - this is good. But it's also challenging. Each province's emissions profile is different from the next and given its industry, Alberta's situation is particularly hard to address. Intraprovincial carbon trading, for example, is a desirable mechanism, but regulations in BC are so vastly different from those in Alberta or Ontario that they will be difficult to align. You could be trading apples for oranges. The longer the provinces have to grow and develop their own programs, the harder it's going to be to allow the various systems to operate in concert.

What will drive harmonization? Probably not climate change, but rather industry (national corporations are the same whether they are operating in PEI or Saskatchewan after all) and intra-provincial trade. Degrees of harmony have to be created.

We're just beginning to explore this topic here on the blog. Stay tuned to see our thoughts on how harmony will be achieved and how the constitutional issue will be addressed.

Minister Smitherman promises to "supercharge" Ontario's green economy

Minister of Energy and Infrastructure George Smitherman addressed a crowd of 750 people this morning about the Green Energy Act (the "Act") that will be tabled on this coming Monday. He did not discuss the entire Act, but did provide some more specific hints at what we should expect.

He identified the two main thrusts of the Act as being facilitating new renewable energy projects and fostering a culture of conservation. His expects that the Act will "supercharge" the green economy in Ontario and could lead to the creation of up to 50,000 new jobs in the province.

With respect to renewables, he emphasized that the Act would provide an attractive price for power and improved certainty for project developers. The attractive pricing will be in the form of a feed-in tariff regime "inspired by Europe but engineered for Ontario." The regime would apply to on- and off-shore wind, solar, geothermal and biomass projects.

Improved certainty will result from changes to the approval process for projects. The Act will replace the need for multiple approvals with a "one window, one permit" approach. The man who tackled health care wait times also announced that the Act will include service time guarantees. Specifically, complete project applications will be processed within 6 months.

As part of streamlining project development, the Act will replace the patchwork of set-back rules made by municipalities with a province-wide set-back requirement based on the Ministry's review of a wide variety of peer reviewed studies of the health risks associated with living close to wind farms and other renewable projects. This part of the Act, which Minister Smitherman characterized as an "uploading" of responsibility from the municipalities to the province, is likely to raise the ire of the NIMBYs that Premier McGuinty criticized in recent weeks.

The Act also contemplates transmission and distribution system upgrades and investment in smart grid technology, presumably at the distribution level. More accommodation will be made for distributed generation, both by facilitating interconnection and by providing grants and low-interest loans to community and cooperative power initiatives.

The Minister also hinted at an enhanced role for first nations.

As mentioned above, Minister Smitherman did not reveal every detail of the Act (he joked that doing so would take not only breakfast but all the way through lunch). However, he did indicate that the Act proposed to amend 15 existing statutes. He confirmed that the Act will be introduced in the legislature Monday morning. Stay tuned for more details.

Ontario bill proposes mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency of residential buildings

On September 25, Phil McNeely, MPP (Ottawa-Orléans), introduced Bill 101, Home Energy Rating Act, 2008 for first reading in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The bill would make home energy audit reports mandatory in three circumstances:

• when applying for a permit to build a new home on or after January 1, 2010;
• when entering into an agreement of purchase and sale for an existing home on or after January 1, 2011; and
• when entering into a tenancy agreement for the lease of a building on or after January 1, 2012.

The audit report requirement would apply only for detached, semi-detached and low-rise residential buildings (with no more than 3 storeys and an area no more than 600 square feet). The report would indicate the energy efficiency of the building in accordance with prescribed methodology and provide any other prescribed information. It is expected that the reports generated under the existing federal ecoENERGY program will be acceptable for the purposes of the bill.

The bill is an example of legislated disclosure requirements related to environmental performance. The purpose of the bill is to enable buyers and renters of residential property to make more informed decisions with respect to the efficiency and environmental impact of their homes.

Ottawa's GHG offset system to include a "fast track" project approval system for first 6 months

submitted by Grant Boyle

On August 9 the federal government published a draft Guide for Protocol Developers for Canada’s Offset System for Greenhouse Gases. The draft Guide will undergo a 60 day consultation period before a final Guide is published. The Guide is intended to provide details on the requirements to complete an Offset System Quantification Protocol and the steps that must be followed to create offset credits under the federal GHG emissions framework.

Projects must take place in Canada, must have started on or after January 1, 2000, must be surplus to all legal requirements (federal, provincial/territorial and regional) and go beyond what is expected from the receipt of other climate change incentives (federal, provincial/territorial). Credits may be issued for reductions achieved after January 1, 2008.

The quantification requirements in the Guide are based on the ISO 14064 standard. The Guide does not provide or recommend an approach to quantify GHG reductions from specific project types and will rely on project proponents to develop and submit their own protocols to Environment Canada for approval, unless the protocol type has already been approved by the Ministry. The approvals process is expected to take 5-8 months.

During the first six months of the operation of the Offset System, Environment Canada will implement a modified and accelerated process to review and approve Offset System Quantification Protocols that are derived from a list of 40 “external protocols” from other systems, including: the Clean Development Mechanism, Alberta’s Specified Gas Emitters Regulation, the California Climate Action Registry, the Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme in New South Wales, France’s Offset System, and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The Guide includes a proposed list of external protocols for “fast track” approval:

Agriculture
*Including Edible Oils in Cattle Feeding Regimes (Alberta)
*Reducing Days on Feed of Cattle (Alberta)
*Reducing the Slaughter Age of Cattle (Alberta)
*Anaerobic Decomposition of Agricultural Materials (Alberta)
*Livestock Project Reporting Protocol Capturing And Combusting Methane From *Manure Management Systems (California)
*GHG Emission Reductions From Manure Management Systems (CDM)
*Innovative Feeding Of Swine and Storing and Spreading of Swine Manure (Alberta)
*Tillage System Management (Alberta)

Energy Efficiency
*Waste Gas Or Waste Heat Or Waste Pressure Based Energy Systems (CDM)
*Residential Buildings (Alberta)
*Commercial Buildings(Alberta)
*Waste Heat Recovery Projects (Alberta)
*Waste Heat Recovery Project - Streamlined(Alberta)
*Energy Efficiency Projects (Alberta)

Forestry
*Afforestation Projects (Alberta)
*Forest Management (California)

Fossil Fuels
*Industrial Fuel Switching From Coal Or Petroleum Fuels To Natural Gas (CDM)
*Switching From Coal And/Or Petroleum Fuels To Natural Gas In Existing Power Plants For Electricity Generation (CDM)

Geological Sequestration
*Acid Gas Injection (Alberta)
*Enhanced Oil Recovery (Alberta)

Methane
*Landfill Gas Capture And Combustion (Alberta)
*Landfill Project Reporting Protocol Collecting And Combusting Methane From Landfills (California)
*Landfill Gas Project Activities (CDM)
*Coal Bed Methane, Coal Mine Methane And Ventilation Air Methane Capture And Use For Power (Electrical Or Motive) And Heat And/Or Destruction By Flaring Or Catalytic Oxidation (CDM)
*Aerobic Composting (Alberta)
*Aerobic Landfill Bioreactor Projects (Alberta)
*Coalmine Methane and Abandoned Mine Methane Capture and Destruction Projects (General Electric AES)
*Waste Water Treatment Methane Capture and Destruction Projects (General Electric AES)

Renewable Energy
*Biomass to Energy from Biomass Combustion Facilities (Alberta)
*Electricity Generation From Biomass Residues (CDM)
*Run Of River Power Generation (Alberta)
*Solar Power Generation (Alberta)
*Wind Power Generation (Alberta)
*Introduction Of A New Primary District Heating System (CDM)
*Grid Connected Electricity Generation From Renewable Sources (CDM)

Transportation
*For Gravel And Lightly Surfaced Road Re-Surfacing Projects (Alberta)
*For Freight Modal Shifting (Alberta)

Waste
*Recovery & Utilization Of Gas From Oil Wells That Would Otherwise Be Flared (CDM)
*Non-Incineration Thermal Waste Management (Alberta)

Other
*Biofuels Productions And Usage (Alberta)
*Catalytic Reductions Ofn2o Inside The Ammonia Burner Of Nitric Acid Plants (CDM)