Major challenges for Aboriginal and Northern communities are climate change impacts, the costs of energy, and the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Scientific evidence suggests that climate change may have a greater impact on Aboriginal and Northern communities than on other communities in Canada.

Even with comprehensive renewable energy and energy efficiency policies and measures, there remains a need to address the high level of emissions in Aboriginal and Northern communities, many of which have old or aging community infrastructure and are reliant on emission-intensive and polluting diesel fuel systems for electricity production.

The ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities Program will work with all Aboriginal and Northern Communities, including the approximately 130 remote communities that rely on diesel power generation, to improve energy efficiency and adopt alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on diesel fuel.

The program will assist communities through all stages of project development, including project identification and inception, feasibility and planning studies, financial and project management, equity partnerships, power purchase agreements and project completion.

Incentives will be directed at renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and will include investment in small and micro hydro projects, wind turbines, improved diesel generation efficiency projects, and district heating and building heating systems.

Proven Energy Technologies

The ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities Program offers 'one window' access for communities to participate in national clean energy action.

Eligible projects must focus on proven energy technologies, including:

• renewable energy: small or micro hydro facilities, wind turbines (where feasible considering technical and economic factors), solar electric (where feasible), and biomass (where feasible)
  
  
• energy efficiency: improved diesel generation efficiency (in off-grid communities), district heating applications, solar thermal, improved energy/heating systems in community buildings.

Key Work Areas

In order to support the development and implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, the following key work areas have been identified as leading to long-term sustainability in these communities.

Development of Community Clean Energy Action Plans: Support given to community-focused plans which emphasize renewable energy and clean energy planning to deliver economic development, employment opportunities and improved environment conditions. Plans should address the objectives of the government's Clean Air Initiative and Clean Energy Agenda.

Contributions to Renewable Energy Projects: Funding contributions for renewable energy projects to support Aboriginal and Northern communities in project development and implementation.

Contributions to Energy Efficiency Projects: Funding contributions for energy efficiency projects to support Aboriginal and Northern communities in improving the energy efficiency of community infrastructure.

Special Area Focuses: Focus on key areas of concern with respect to energy in these communities, such as: promoting clean energy solutions in off-grid communities (to reduce diesel fuel reliance and costs), and promoting sustainable transportation, with emphasis on the shipping of freight to remote communities (to reduce costs and fuel consumption).

Key areas of concern with respect to community clean energy sustainability, particularly off-grid diesel generator dependent communities, and transportation of goods and freight to remote communities by road, air and water have been identified. Although feasible clean energy projects in off-grid remote communities will be captured through contributions to these communities, it is felt that these communities as a collective across the country may require further attention under the program. Many of these communities will likely remain remote and on diesel for the foreseeable future, and will require further investments and planning to ensure efficient energy use and production.

Program Objectives

The ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities Program is focused exclusively on providing Aboriginal and Northern communities with funding support for clean energy projects. The objective of the program is to reduce or displace coal and diesel generation of electricity thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, along with criteria air contaminants resulting in cleaner air. Successful projects will also produce social, environmental and economic development benefits for these communities.

The Program will equip Aboriginal and Northern communities with appropriate knowledge and tools to increase the energy efficiency of community infrastructure, to access renewable energy opportunities and implement cost effective renewable energy projects.

Specifically, ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities will:

• Reduce GHG emissions from Aboriginal and Northern communities.
  
  
• Build Aboriginal capacity and optimize the economic developments associated with energy efficiency and new sustainable energy infrastructure.
  
  
• Promote the participation of Aboriginal, and Northern communities and governments in projects that reduce GHG emissions.

In addition, ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities activities will yield a number of outcomes including:

• Generate cleaner power and reduce the cost of energy consumption.
  
  
• Foster economic development and knowledge-based employment in Aboriginal and Northern communities.
  
  
• Increase the use of local renewable energy resources, and improve the efficiency of generation and consumption systems.
  
  
• Make contributions to the reduction of environmental risks such as diesel fuel spills, water and air pollution (outdoor and indoor).
  
  
• Promote investment in a new generation of energy infrastructure needed to promote economic development and meet the demands of growing populations in Aboriginal and Northern communities.
  
  
• Yield various co-benefits of an economic, environmental and social nature.

The program will increase the capacity in Aboriginal and Northern communities to understand and address climate change issues and the relationship to energy use, and will work to engage other federal departments/agencies and provincial/territorial energy utilities in Aboriginal and Northern community climate change activities.

Promote Partnerships

Proposals that include key partners, such as provincial/territorial governments, Aboriginal governments, educational institutions, professional or industrial associations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, etc. whose contributions are monetary or in-kind, will be given a higher rating.

Non-eligible projects

Funding will not be provided for projects:

• that do not have a primary focus on energy efficiency or renewable energy;
  
  
• that are regular activities of the organization (e.g. general meetings, conferences) or a group's overall program;
  
  
• where the benefit does not accrue to Aboriginal people or Northerners; or
  
  
• that are submitted by an individual.

Eligible Organizations

Funds may be provided to any of the following organizations:

• Aboriginal and Northern Communities;
  
  
• Band Councils;
  
  
• Tribal Councils;
  
  
• National Aboriginal Organizations and other Aboriginal Organizations, including Professional Organizations;
  
  
• Aboriginal Community Groups (volunteer groups, community associations and institutions);
• Territorial Governments and Northern organizations; and,
  
  
• Aboriginal businesses and Aboriginal industries.

Funding Availability

The following levels of funding are available based on the program elements:

For Community Clean Energy Action Plans - depending on the size of the community, between $5,000 and $15,000 per community is available.

For Energy Efficiency Projects - depending on the size of the project and the stage of its development, up to $100,000 is available.

For Renewable Energy Projects - depending on the size of the project of its development, up to $250,000 is available.

Work activities within individual projects may comprise one or more of the program elements, outlined above.

Key Program Performance and Outcomes

• Making Aboriginal and Northern Communities Full Partners in Canada's Climate Change Process: ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities supports Aboriginal and Northern Communities in clean energy actions, helping make these critical populations full partners in the Clean Energy Agenda.
  
  
• Improving Conditions in Aboriginal and Northern Communities: ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities, through improving community energy planning and understanding the impacts of climate change, is helping Aboriginal and Northern Communities plan better to make their communities more sustainable.
  
  
• Integration with departmental programming: ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities integrates energy and climate change issues with INAC Economic Development, Infrastructure, Claims and off-grid/remote communities programming.
  
  
• GHG Reductions: Through support for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, particularly the Large Energy Project Working Group, ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities will catalyze energy projects, leading to a reduction in GHG emissions over the project life cycle.
  
  
• Economic Development and Income Generation: Previous climate change programming has been able to contribute directly to income generation and economic development in Aboriginal and Northern Communities through clean energy projects. For example, the China Creek Run of the River Hydro facility owned by the Hupacasath First Nation, is now generating a net surplus for the community as a result of green power sales to BC Hydro.
  
  
• Community Energy Planning: ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities' support for Community Energy Planning (CEP) gives members of the community information to know what options they have to reduce energy consumption, GHG emissions, and energy costs.

Community Energy Baseline Projects

Community energy planning analysis is a useful and quick method to determine the existing energy situation in a community, and is therefore an important first step in identifying potential projects and initiatives that could be supported by the ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities. The funding required to conduct energy planning analysis of a community usually falls within the $5,000 to $15,000 range largely depending on the size of the community and other factors. Cost savings per community can often be achieved by conducting the energy planning of a number of communities under a single initiative.

For more information, please contact ecoENERGIE-ecoENERGY@ainc-inac.gc.ca.

Integrating Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Technologies to Community Infrastructure Projects

• Integrating Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Technologies to Community Infrastructure Projects
  • Project Funding Criteria
  • Funding Template
    
    

For more information, please contact ecoENERGIE-ecoENERGY@ainc-inac.gc.ca.

• Large Energy Projects
  • Project Funding Criteria
  • Funding Template

For more information, please contact ecoENERGIE-ecoENERGY@ainc-inac.gc.ca.