Traditional Land of Wabanaki People/Fredericton — Today’s release of a federal discussion paper on regulatory options to deliver zero-emissions electricity by 2035 is a critical step towards a clean electricity system, says Louise Comeau, Director of Climate Change and Energy Solutions at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB).
One solution to climate change is to use non-polluting electricity to power our vehicles, homes and businesses. Electricity made using wind and solar is cheaper than using coal, oil, gas, and nuclear.
To deliver cleaner electricity across Canada, we need to invest billions of dollars to renew Canada’s electricity system over the next 10 to 15 years. Renewing Canada’s electricity system will be hard work, but we are on our way. We are building wind and solar projects today, creating jobs for workers and economic benefits.
“A federal clean electricity standard will accelerate investment in renewable energy and employ more workers to build and maintain our modernized electricity system by 2035,” says Comeau.
In addition to building out local and regional renewable energy supply, we need to use electricity efficiently to keep the cost of living down. We have the expertise to retrofit homes and businesses so they use 30 to 50 per cent less energy than today. Shifting to an energy-efficient or electric vehicle can save drivers even more, compared to the average gasoline vehicle.
It does cost money up front, however, to secure these energy savings. To help Canadians, we need financial incentives so electric vehicles and retrofitting homes are affordable.
To build the social support needed to modernize Canada’s electricity system, we must ensure citizens and communities can contribute to decisions about project location, the size of projects, and have a chance to partner and profit from renewing our electricity system.
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To arrange an interview, contact: Louise Comeau, Director, Climate Change and Energy Solutions, Conservation Council of New Brunswick | louise.comeau@conservationcouncil.ca | 506-238-0355.
Learn about CCNB’s Atlantic Electricity Vision.