Angie Fyfe’s Post

CEBC Members and Friends, We are pleased to share that our Senior Government Relations Advisor, Jack Magnus, attended the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Summit this week on behalf of Clean Energy Association of BC (CEBC). There, he engaged with legislators and public servants from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington, and other PNWER provinces and states about how the region can collaborate to accelerate #clean energy development and #electrification. Jack also enjoyed connecting with CEBC’s valued members, including Innergex and Invenergy. CEBC is proud that our Board Chair, Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, spoke on day two of the summit, participating in a panel on “innovative strategies and #climate solutions for achieving the #energy transition.” Here are some key takeaways from her remarks: "The biggest opportunity we see for innovation to enable the #energy transition today is not in technology. It's in policy reform. When we think about what the barriers are to getting new assets into the grid fast, it's things like #permitting timelines, #interconnection processes, and utility approvals. We have a huge opportunity to work backwards from the end goal, which is getting more #emissions-free, cost effective, safe, and reliable energy into the grid faster. This might require us to re-evaluate some of our policy objectives." "It is critical that we re-invest in both existing #transmission and build out new transmission at the utility scale while increasing distribution in neighborhoods ... There's no transition without transmission, and I think we need to stay laser focused on that." "To legislators: do not be afraid of building too much. I don't think it's possible with the amount of demand that is out there right now. It's time to go big. We can build and #economic development will come." "We must take a thoughtful look at why our permitting and transmission approval interconnection processes take so long and ask what is really important. What components of biodiversity, socioeconomic, and technical values should we prioritize? Then we can streamline and focus review processes on those things that are most important, so that clean #infrastructure can get built quickly.”

This study by a team of researchers from the UMass Amherst focuses on opportunities, challenges, and benefits associated with the implementation of Community Choice Energy (CCE) aggregation programs across Massachusetts municipalities. Read the report to find out how CCE programs facilitate the green energy transition. https://bit.ly/3xDZaT6

Check out the case studies in today's State Energy Conference of North Carolina Governmental & Institutional Buildings Track: https://lnkd.in/drpYuUk #NCenergy2024 #EnergyEfficiency #BuildingPerformance

We're excited to announce that the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program has allocated $12 million in flexible funding to support 17 state and local governments' clean energy initiatives! Awards this month include governments that will use funds to conduct energy upgrades at community centers and schools, develop climate action plans, launch solar incentive programs for low- and moderate-income households and more. Check out the release to see all the awardees: https://lnkd.in/eZ_tD-2S Applications for local governments are open until October 31, 2024, and for Tribal Nations, the deadline extends until May 31, 2025. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/3UG6BlZ 🌍💡 The EECBG Program is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to improve energy efficiency. #EECBG #CleanEnergy

Great to see more awesome EECBG awards in the Midwest announced this week! Congratulations to City of Green Bay, City of Madison, WI, and the City of Evansville-Vanderburgh County for receiving their awards. Evansville is the first City in Indiana to receive it's EECBG formula allocation! Madison, WI will hire a consultant to build a web and database system to effectively implement the city’s new Building Energy Savings Program (BESP). Created in 2023, the BESP requires commercial buildings in the city to make sustained progress on improved energy efficiency and carbon pollution reduction. The software will enable the city to benchmark and analyze energy usage across buildings covered by the BESP, helping to streamline compliance and measure program impact. The consultant will also provide help center support and trainings for building owners and managers, and compliance tracking for building energy benchmarking and tune-ups. Green Bay, WI will hire an Outreach and Engagement Specialist to lead an electrification and energy efficiency outreach campaign for residents, small businesses, and non-profits. The specialist will develop a strategy and outreach materials to implement the city’s Clean Energy Green Bay Plan and provide technical assistance to residents on best practices and available incentives for home electrification and energy efficiency upgrades. The city will also collaborate with the nearby Oneida Nation to provide tailored resources on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Home Energy Rebates Programs for Tribal members in areas that overlap with the city's jurisdiction. The project will follow EECBG Program Blueprint 2C: Building Efficiency & Electrification Campaign. #EECBG #DOE #grants #awards #federalgrants #energy #DOE #SCEP #Wisconsin #Indiana #energyefficiency #planning #renewableenergy #Midwest

To explore what we can learn from Canada’s energy policies I spoke with Claire Seaborn, who was the Chief of Staff to Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/dj-uh32g Forbes ForbesWomen Claire Seaborn #ClimateAction #EnergyPolicy #CarbonPricing #SustainabilityLeadership #CanadaClimate #GreenEnergy #ClimateChangeSolutions #CleanEnergyFuture #USClimatePolicy #ElectricLadiesPodcast #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalEnergy

To explore what we can learn from Canada’s energy policies I spoke with Claire Seaborn, who was the Chief of Staff to Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/dfT93cBA Forbes ForbesWomen Claire Seaborn #ClimateAction #EnergyPolicy #CarbonPricing #SustainabilityLeadership #CanadaClimate #GreenEnergy #ClimateChangeSolutions #CleanEnergyFuture #USClimatePolicy #ElectricLadiesPodcast #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalEnergy

Ahead of tomorrow's #PresidentialDebate in Philadelphia, learn about the economic, consumer, and environmental benefits that natural gas has provided to Pennsylvania, America and the world and why we must continue to invest in our #NatGas infrastructure. Read more from Luke Bernstein, President and CEO of the PA Chamber of Business and Industry:

Delighted to publish this Local Energy Planning report just after Ofgem opened their Regional Energy Strategic Plan policy framework consultation. We identify an important role for RESPs in supporting local energy planning – developing common modelling assumptions and open-source geospatial tools, as well as providing technical support. Five recommendations for effective local planning to accelerate net zero energy systems: > Consolidate learning from local energy planning across GB > Develop a consistent framework for local energy planning; including standardised data protocols and access > Treat local energy planning as a process not an outcome: prioritise accessible and adaptable modelling tools, not one‑off plans > Integrate community and citizen engagement in local energy planning > Focus support on translating plans into delivery and investment strategies https://lnkd.in/eMVKq5zC https://lnkd.in/emWGzENB

Desert Community Energy (DCE) is a locally controlled energy provider serving Palm Springs since 2020. The City of Palm Desert is also a member and is still considering a future launch date. DCE is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by offering customers easy access to clean energy at competitive rates through Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). DCE’s Community Advisory Committee provides a direct path for community members to get involved with DCE. https://lnkd.in/gTmfUHtW