May 30, 2008
I am very encouraged by the leadership taken by the Prince Edward Island Government to initiate province-wide consultation on the future of our energy strategy. I strongly believe that jurisdictions that consult and engage the public in directional discussions have more successful participation and compliance to the goals set forth.
Prince Edward Island, like the rest of the world, is facing higher fuel costs and also has the added concern of being extremely vulnerable to the climate change crisis. It is imperative that these energy discussions occur now, but more importantly, decisions made for Prince Edward Island's energy strategy must also be considered under the realm of our very real climate change concerns.
As ongoing research continues to prove, Prince Edward Island is going to be impacted by the effects of climate change and flooding from rising sea levels, and we must be careful and considerate in the direction of our energy strategy. I believe a strong focus on energy efficiency paired with the development of renewable generation is the direction that can both fulfill our energy demands and meet our commitments to greenhouse gas reduction. I caution committing to any development that has not been environmentally assessed with emphasis on climate change adaptation.
Other jurisdictions, such as Denmark and New Zealand, are also undertaking discussions to determine their energy strategy. These two countries have recognized the economic incentives of being ahead of the curve when it comes to climate change action and renewable energy development. Their governments are currently striving to set themselves as climate change leaders in the international market, and Prince Edward Island has an opportunity to learn from the direction they've taken in their energy strategies.
New Zealand has developed their energy strategy with targets and goals to 2050. While New Zealand has paired their energy strategy with an Emission Trading Scheme, many targets and directions could be transferred to Prince Edward Island's Energy Strategy.
As Prince Edward Island did in 2004, New Zealand has set progressive targets for renewable fuels. 90% of their electricity will be generated from renewable sources by 2025. New Zealand has also set targets that by 2040 they will reduce their per capita transport greenhouse gas emissions by half of those in 2007. This is an important standard for Prince Edward Island, as transportation accounts for a large percentage of our greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, New Zealand has also included all greenhouse gases in their strategy, such as methane, instead of solely addressing carbon dioxide. This is due to their large agricultural sector that currently accounts for 50% of their emissions. Prince Edward Island could also consider expanding its scope of emission reductions, but must take into account all sectors of our economy and their impacts on our emissions and energy strategy.
I believe that Prince Edward Island can once again set and meet progressive targets for renewable fuels and reduction of greenhouse gases. Directing our province toward being a green leader will attract new companies looking to invest in clean technologies, as we have witnessed in our wind power sector. It will also attract industry leaders and researchers to Prince Edward Island, therefore invigorating our economy in all regions. We can become one of the North American leaders in our energy strategy, as we have a vibrant IT sector, some initial renewable development and the community scale that would be attractive for developers.
The federal and provincial governments have a role to play in attracting companies looking to invest and research on renewable energies and energy efficiency in Prince Edward Island, and more importantly, create awareness and incentives for individuals, companies and industry sectors. Proactive steps that could be taken include, but are not limited to:
- Strengthening the capabilities of our educational institutions. To capture our potential as a green economy, I believe there needs to be more training available, such as the new Wind Turbine Technician Training program at Holland College. Ensuring that Islanders have the latest knowledge, skills and training will allow them to work in the upcoming sectors that will green our existing and new infrastructure across the province and across Canada.
- Participating in active collaboration with researchers, industry, and government agencies.
- Introducing incentives for private sector innovation such as tax credits for research and development.
- Create a fund to accelerate low emission technologies to the market.
- Islanders should receive financial assistance when taking the responsible approach and shifting to more efficient and renewable energy sources.
The infrastructure requirements for all of Prince Edward Island must include allowing customers and companies to feed-into the energy grid and development community energy that allows for the development of autonomous energy generation. Further, there should be incentives for communities to develop their own energy strategy, as some communities will be more adaptable to wind while others may seek to develop solar or biogas power generation.
Prince Edward Island requires the support for its greening initiative through both the public and private sectors. Implementing programs that allow for the reallocation of development towards green technology and awareness could assist in the reorganization of our energy sector.
Prince Edward Island has been presented the opportunity to redefine our sectors and our economy due to the challenges posed by rising fuel costs and the climate change crisis.
All efforts should be taken to create awareness and incentives for individuals, companies and industry sectors to transform to the most energy efficient processes along with the development of renewable energy sources. I believe there are many opportunities through federal and provincial government partnership to direct Prince Edward Island to a more sustainable and prosperous future.
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