Update on the Generation Energy Council Report

To encourage smarter energy use, the Government:

• provided $950 million to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund to make homes and buildings more energy-efficient in communities across Canada
• provided $2 billion to the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s Growth Plan to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings
• launched the Canada Greener Homes Initiative that provides:
  • grants of up to $5,000 and interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to help homeowners undertake home retrofits  
  • up to $600 toward the costs of pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations
• announced $250 million for the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program to help households move to electric heat pumps instead of expensive home heating oil
• initiated the development of the Canada Green Buildings Strategy to chart a path to a net-zero emissions and climate-resilient buildings sector by 2050.
• launched the $1.5-billion Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program. The program supports energy-efficient, lower carbon and accessible retrofits; repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings; and the construction of new, publicly accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.
• improved the energy efficiency of homes, buildings and the industrial sector by enhancing the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings and updating minimum energy performance standards of products used in homes and businesses

To help Canadians and industry switch to clean power, the Government:

• announced several new measures in Budget 2023, including:
  •  an investment of at least $20 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support building major clean electricity and clean growth infrastructure projects
  • $3 billion of new funding to:
    • recapitalize funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program to support critical regional priorities and Indigenous-led projects and to add transmission projects to the program’s eligibility (in addition to the original funding of $1.6 billion)
    • renew the Smart Grid program to continue to support electricity grid innovation
    • create new investments in science-based activities to help capitalize on Canada’s offshore wind potential, particularly off the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador
  • proposed a 15 percent refundable tax credit for eligible investments in
    • non-emitting electricity generation systems
    • abated natural gas electricity-fired electricity generation
    • stationary electricity storage systems
    • equipment for transmitting electricity between provinces and territories
• provided $520 million to the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program to support renewable energy and capacity building projects and related energy efficiency measures in Indigenous, rural and remote communities
• provided $250 million to support pre-development activities of clean electricity projects of national significance, such as inter-provincial electricity transmission projects and small modular reactors
• provided $2.4 million to establish a Pan-Canadian Grid Council to provide external advice in support of national and regional electricity planning
• implemented the Small Modular Reactor Action Plan that lays out specific actions to develop and deploy this technology in Canada and globally, including engagement with Indigenous communities
• provided $69.9 million to research how to minimize the amount of waste generated from small modular reactors, support the creation of a fuel supply chain, strengthen international nuclear cooperation agreements, and enhance domestic safety and security policies and practices
• provided $50.7 million and $0.5 million ongoing for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to build the capacity to regulate small modular reactors and work with international partners on global regulatory harmonization
• provided $3.9 billion to make zero-emission vehicles more affordable for Canadians and Canadian businesses and to build new charging stations across Canada
• signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of British Columbia on the electrification of the natural gas sector
• initiated collaborative work with the provinces and regional partners to advance the Clean Power Roadmap for Atlantic Canada, including the Atlantic Regional Transmission Loop intertie project, which will greatly reduce emissions and maintain electricity affordability in the Atlantic region

To help Canadians and industry use more renewable fuels, the Government:

• Implemented the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada that lays out a framework for actions that will help Canada seize the significant economic opportunities that hydrogen presents
• launched the $1.5-billion Clean Fuels Fund to encourage investment in producing clean fuels, including clean hydrogen and biofuels
• enacted the Clean Fuel Regulations, which require that suppliers of liquid fossil fuel (gasoline and diesel) gradually reduce the carbon intensity of the fuels they produce and sell for use in Canada
• announced the Clean Hydrogen Investment Tax Credit for investments made in clean hydrogen production based on the life-cycle carbon intensity of hydrogen

To help produce cleaner oil and gas, the Government:

• worked with industry through the $750-million Emissions Reduction Fund to invest in green solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and retain jobs in the sector
• provided $100 million for the Clean Resource Innovation Network to accelerate the development and use of technologies to support cleaner hydrocarbons
• provided $220 million for LNG Canada energy-efficient gas turbines to help decarbonize liquified natural gas production
• introduced regulations to reduce methane emissions in the upstream oil and gas sector
• conducted a federal review of Canada’s national approach to reducing methane from oil and gas
• began developing its options to reduce and cap greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector

To empower Indigenous clean energy leadership that advances reconciliation, the Government:

• partnered with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to set an agenda for climate action and a framework for collaboration, which supports co-development
• engaged in early and continuous dialogue on clean energy initiatives with the intent of increasing the participation of Indigenous communities, businesses and individuals in the clean energy transition
• included Indigenous participation in monitoring and in regulatory programs and processes for resource projects
• continued to build meaningful partnerships with Indigenous Peoples that aim to increase resilience, autonomy and self-determination in the spirit of upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples