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The Community Action on Energy and Emissions initiative (CAEE) provides financial and research support to BC local governments and First Nations to advance energy efficiency, energy conservation and emissions reductions measures through government policy and planning tools. This initiative was previously called "Community Action on Energy Efficiency", but has broadened to deal with GHG emissions and air quality.
CAEE is a key element of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources' Energy Efficient Buildings Strategy: More Action, Less Energy.
The Fraser Basin Council provides overall program administration for this initiative, with funding support from BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, BC Ministry of Environment, BC Hydro, Terasen Gas, and FortisBC.
Whether it is to reduce energy costs, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions or a combination of each, 54 CAEE communities have demonstrated leadership in these areas.
The objective of CAEE is to provide financial and technical support to local governments and First Nations to undertake community level energy efficiency, energy conservation and emission reduction measures through innovative policy and planning tools.
CAEE began in 2005 as a pilot program of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and its partners to advance energy efficiency in public and private sector buildings. It has since been broadened to also address transportation, alternative energy systems, waste management and related emissions. As such, local governments and First Nations can now enjoy undertaking a broad range of initiatives through CAEE, such as a new green building policy for residential, commercial and / or industrial buildings, a transportation demand management (TDM) program, a district energy feasibility study, or an organics waste diversion program.
Below are some examples of past CAEE initiatives that focused on buildings and energy efficiency. Future CAEE projects can incorporate some of these example initiatives, but should go beyond to research new policy tools especially in the areas of energy efficiency, GHG reductions, air quality, transportation, renewable and clean energy, buildings and waste management.
| Category | Example |
|---|---|
| 1. Policy measures | Adopt policy statements in the Official Community Plan promoting energy efficiency. Develop rezoning policies establishing an expectation for energy efficiency. Include passive solar and natural ventilation guidelines in Development Permit Area Guidelines. |
| 2. Information | Provide information to residents, developers, and building permit applicants about energy incentives available from utilities and federal / provincial government. |
| 3. Education | Develop sustainability permit checklists, and require that the checklist be completed in order to get a permit. |
| 4. Incentives | Reduce building permit fees for more efficient buildings, or for acquiring an energy performance label (e.g. EnerGuide). Provide density bonusing for more efficient buildings. |
| 5. Regulatory | Review land use and building bylaws. Pursue mixed use and higher density development to create favorable conditions for district heating and/or geo-exchange energy systems. |
| 6. Capacity | Encourage local government staff to include energy efficiency work as a part of their workplans. |
Past CAEE participating local governments pursued policy initiatives in each of these areas. For details, and a broader range of policy initiatives, see CAEE's resource guide below.
The revised Energy Efficiency & Buildings: A Resource for BC's Local Governments provides an introduction to policy tools and building operations that promote energy efficiency. Successful local government initiatives and staff contacts are included as resources in this guide.
A CAEE introduction webinar was held on October 30, 2008. The following presentations were given:
While 54 local governments and First Nations continue to research possible policies and incentives, additional communities will be supported through CAEE by 2010.
Fraser Basin Council
1st Floor - 470 Granville Street
Vancouver BC V6C 1V5
Tel: (604) 488-5350
Fax: (604) 488-5351
Email: info@fraserbasin.bc.ca
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