Additional $184 million allocated to the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative
May 28, 2012 | By HPAC Magazine
At the 8th annual Energy Matters Summit, The Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources announced that the Government of Canada is investing an additional $184 million in the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative. This brings the total funding under the program to $281 million over five years. The initiative consists of two separate funding streams: one for R&D projects and one for demonstration projects. A portion of the funding from the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative program will be provided to federal researchers and laboratories to continue R&D work. Activities funded under the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative will be in five strategic priority areas: energy efficiency in buildings, communities, industry and transportation; clean electricity and renewables; bioenergy; electrification of transportation; and unconventional oil and gas. How much money will be allocated to areas that will impact HPAC readers is not known at this time. The Energy Matters Summit is organized by the Region of Peel in partnership with the Independent Electricity System Operator and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. This year’s theme is “Building Partnerships for a Sustainable Energy Future,” with a focus on energy efficiency in buildings, integrated community energy solutions and smart grid electricity systems. Minister Oliver also underscored the importance of Canadian communities in advancing clean energy innovation, which account for an estimated 60 percent of national energy consumption.