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Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program

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Accelerating Canada’s Low Carbon Future

The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs) provides up to $1.564 billion over eight years for smart renewable energy and electrical grid modernization projects. This includes an additional $600 million for the program announced in Budget 2022. This program will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the replacement of fossil-fuel generated electricity with renewables that can provide essential grid services while supporting Canada’s equitable transition to an electrified economy.

Program Intake Status

The program intake process is now closed. The program is no longer accepting revisions to project applications and is not accepting new applications.

To receive future program updates by email, send a request to sreps-erite@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca to be added to the SREPs distribution list.

Transforming Canada’s Electrical Grid and Supporting Renewables

SREPs will provide up to a maximum of $25M to eligible renewable energy and grid modernization projects during the construction phase. Projects must use market ready technologies and apply workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion components.

Mandatory outcomes of the program are to:

  • Decrease greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s electricity system;
  • Increase the number of electricity system assets that can contribute to system reliability;
  • Generate economic and social benefits, including job creation and increased equity, diversity and inclusion in the energy sector; and
  • Increase renewable energy capacity or increase electrical grid accommodation of renewable energy;

Where applicable, the program will also increase meaningful Indigenous ownership of, and benefits from, smart renewable energy projects.

Projects eligible for funding are large-scale renewable energy projects capable of providing grid services, energy storage or grid modernization projects.  For information on eligibility, please refer to the Generation and Storage Applicant Guide or the Grid Modernization Applicant Guide.

NOTE: Due to a large number of applications currently on hold, the program is only accepting revisions of existing applications at this time.  

What projects are eligible?

Eligible Projects under SREPs include, but are not limited to, the permanent deployment of technologies listed below.

Understanding that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners experience unique barriers to participating in the energy transition, SREPs aims to enable and encourage their participation by providing greater funding percentages, as well as supporting smaller-sized projects. Please refer to the Applicant Guides for more information.

Eligible Projects by Stream
Program Stream

Examples of Eligible Projects

Max Eligible % of Total Project Costs

Maximum Eligible Funding

Established Renewables

(Refer to Generation and Storage Applicant Guide)

  • Onshore wind
  • Solar photovoltaic (including bi-facial)
  • Small hydro
  • Biomass (heat and/or electricity)
10% $25 million

Emerging Technologies

(Refer to Generation and Storage Applicant Guide)

  • Offshore wind
  • Geothermal (heat and/or electricity)
  • Concentrated solar power
  • Energy storage
  • Renewable community heating
  • Water current, tidal or wave
  • Retrofits to enable grid services on existing renewable energy or energy storage plants
30% $25 million

Grid Modernization

(Refer to Grid Modernization Applicant Guide)

  • Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS)
  • Data management and communication
  • Demand management
  • Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS)
  • Energy storage (owned and operated by a utility)
  • Electricity market reform
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) integration
  • Grid monitoring and automation
  • Hardware or software retrofits to an existing renewable energy or energy storage project to enable grid service capabilities
  • Microgrid
  • Software or hardware to enable aggregating Distributed Energy Resources (DER), e.g., virtual power plant
  • Utility system software and hardware upgrades 
30% for non-utility led
50% for utility-led
$25 million

Applicant Guides

How are projects chosen?

All projects that meet SREPs requirements, as defined in the Applicant Guides, are eligible for available funding. The program is not accepting new applications at this time. More information will be provided on this page if and when the program opens to new applications.

A portion of SREPS funding will be reserved for Indigenous-led projects, which may qualify for higher levels of project support.

Capacity Building

SREPs also offers a Capacity Building Stream to support the equitable transition to a cleaner electrical grid, helping communities and organizations acquire the knowledge and tools needed to develop renewable energy and grid modernization projects.
With additional funding, the program will allocate up to $25 million to capacity building projects. Further details related to the Capacity Building stream will become available early 2023.

Indigenous Engagement Grant Funding

Up to $50,000 per fiscal year in Grant funding is available for Indigenous Engagement and Consultations activities. To request an SREPs Grant application form, please email the program mailbox.

Have questions?

Email us at sreps-erite@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Keep up to date with future funding opportunities by subscribing to the Clean Growth Hub Newsletter.

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