The Government of Canada has expanded the Low Carbon Economy Fund to support projects such as the Northern First Nations Home Retrofit Program.
The $2.8-million investment for SaskPower from the Low Carbon Economy Fund will support the Northern First Nations Home Retrofit Program, which recently launched its application window for the year. SaskPower is also contributing over $1 million to support this project, which will provide energy efficiency home retrofits in participating First Nations communities.
The program is designed to lower energy costs for Northern First Nations, most of whom are reliant on electric power for their heating systems, through retrofits for people’s homes like improved insulation, upgraded pipes, and LED light installation.
The project will mean less pollution through energy savings and lower energy costs for people in these communities. Over the lifetime of this project, SaskPower will see a cumulative reduction of about 16,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing approximately 4,900 passenger cars off the road for one year.
This project is an example of what will be funded under the expanded Low Carbon Economy Fund, which in Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan received a $2.2-billion recapitalization over seven years. Investments in climate action initiatives like this are part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to fight climate change, create good-paying jobs, and build a strong, clean economy for everyone.
“By working with organizations across Canada like SaskPower, we can help people save money on monthly bills and grow the economy, all while fighting climate change,” said Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
“Through the Low Carbon Economy Fund, our government partners with climate leaders nationwide to cut emissions and will continue to do so through a renewed commitment of an additional $2.2 billion, an important part of Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. Bravo to the leadership shown by SaskPower for helping to keep our air clean and build resilient communities with the Northern First Nations Home Retrofit Program.”
The federal funding comes from the Low Carbon Economy Challenge – Champions stream, which invests in projects that reduce carbon pollution and supports industries to put in place clean technologies that will help them be more efficient and innovative.
“SaskPower understands that for many of our customers in Northern Saskatchewan, heating makes up a large part of their electrical costs,” said Tory King, interim president and CEO of SaskPower. “We also realize that making one’s home more efficient can be both expensive and challenging, especially in some Northern communities. SaskPower’s Northern First Nations Home Retrofit Program will help eligible customers make home efficiency upgrades for free, and ultimately reduce their power bills.”
Featured image: Government of Canada.
