Climate Change Issues and Energy Opportunities in the ThompsonOkanagan

1
(No Transcript)
2
Climate Change Issues and Energy Opportunities in
the Thompson/Okanagan
Climate Change and Community Energy

• Laura Porcher
• Executive Director
• Community Energy Association
• June 25, 2003

3
Overview

• Climate change impacts and adaptation
• What is Community Energy Planning (CEP)?
• Overview of energy in a community
• CEP process
• Outcomes and benefits of CEP
• What is the Community Energy Association?
• How to get started
• Resources
• Conclusion

4
Climate change is happening
5
South Cascade Glacier, Washington State, 1928

• Photo of glacier retreat

6
South Cascade Glacier, Washington State, 2000
7
BC interior impacts

• Hot dry areas hotter drier
• Water
• Declining summer flows, impacting irrigation,
  fisheries and hydro-electricity
• Warmer streamflows harm salmon
• Earlier, more rapid freshet
• Higher peak flows flooding
• Agriculture
• Water availability
• Altered success of crops and varieties
• Forestry
• Increased forest fires
• Pest infestations e.g. mountain pine beetle
• Ski areas and reduced season

8
Adaptation is necessary

• Water
• Conservation revisit summer allocations
• New water storage infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Prepare for reduced water availability
• Selection of crops varieties
• Forestry
• Forest fire management
• Selection of seedling varieties
• Floodplain management

9
Climate change and energy

• Perspective
• Climate change is real
• Energy costs are real
• even more so in the future
• Both have impacts in our communities
• The past is past the future awaits with
  challenges and opportunity
• Local governments and First Nations can take
  control of this aspect of their future through
  community energy planning

10
What is Community Energy Planning?

• Defn Consideration of energy supply and demand
  in community design and development, in the 4
  pillars
• Land use and transportation planning
• Site planning and building design
• Infrastructure design and efficiency
• Alternative energy supply options.
• CEP - Addresses all types of community energy
  issues
• Energy systems
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Where and how efficiently we use energy
• Innovative technology and energy systems
• How we develop and manage our communities
• Economic development
• Key aspect CEP involves many stakeholders in
  identifying both challenges and solutions

11
Energy linkages
12
What is Community Energy Planning? (contd)

• Integrating energy considerations into regional
  community planning initiatives
• Airshed planning
• Regional Growth Strategies
• Official Community Plans
• Neighbourhood development projects
• Green better building initiatives
• Partners for Climate Protection action plans
• CEP is a new dimension in the planning of
  communities.

13
How to think about energy in your community

• Supply
• Transmission / distribution
• Land use
• Equipment, vehicles and appliances (efficiency)
• Lifestyle and business activity

14
Energy supply considerations

• Whats important about E supply
• (Non) renewable status
• Location
• Technology
• Types of energy
• Electricity (high grade)
• Heat (low grade)

15
Energy sources

• Renewable
• Hydroelectric
• Large scale
• Run of river
• Geo-exchange
• Wind
• Solar
• Tidal
• Many others

• Non-renewable
• Gas
• Coal
• Other fossil fuels
• Others
• Waste burning (biomass)
• Methane capture
• others

16
Energy transmission

• Whats important about E transmission
• Distance
• Efficiency
• Transformations of energy type
• Transmission and distribution systems
• Wires
• Pipes
• District systems
• Trucks
• Etc

17
Energy use in your community

• What is important about energy use in your
  community?
• Amount used
• How and where used
• Implications
• Costs
• Air pollution
• Traffic
• Jobs
• Self-reliance

18
Energy use in a community

• Buildings
• Heat
• Light
• Equipment / appliances
• Transportation
• All types
• Roads, lights, etc
• Infrastructure and services
• Energy
• Water and liquid waste
• Waste
• Lifestyle
• Work, play, learn, shop, etc
• Types and characteristics of goods and services
  we consume

19
CEP and your community

• Dependence on remote energy resources
• Air quality
• Unemployment
• Economic development
• Rising energy costs
• Affordable housing
• Water quality
• Waste disposal
• Land values
• Conservation of green spaces
• Safe environment for families and community

20
Community energy
At all scales within the community
21
Community considerations

• Land use patterns
• Link where you live with where you work, play,
  shop and schools
• Higher density mixed use
• Transportation systems
• - roads, transit, bicycle paths, etc
• Building design
• Green buildings (energy, water, materials,
  healthy)
• Landscape design
• Trees, shading, etc
• Infrastructure systems
• - Energy, water, waste, communications

22
Time energy
Energy decisions have long term effects
23
The CEP process

• Get started
• Set some goals and a path forward
• Understand energy in your community
• Educate, discuss and plan
• Move forward together

• Gather the team and resources
• Plan consultation advisory grps
• Explore ideas together
• Identify how you use energy now (baseline)
• Identify energy issues and opportunities
• Create some options for discussion
• Consultation and choice of CEP elements
• Create action plan
• Implement together
• Monitor, refine and celebrate successes

24
Possible outcomes from CEP

• Single issue energy plan
• Energy component of some other system or project
• Comprehensive energy plan
• The full meal deal- all aspects of the
  community addressed
• New energy systems or infrastructure
• e.g district system or micro-hydro
• New energy-related program
• e.g Access Hydros Powersmart program

25
Benefits from CEP

• More efficient communities
• Reduced costs for heat and light and
  transportation
• Save or make money for the community, local
  businesses and residents
• Healthier communities
• More desirable to live in leads to pride, more
  development, etc
• Improve environmental quality
• Improve community livability
• Contribute to the local economy
• - Job creation - New energy businesses
• - Better land values
• Contribute to understanding and addressing
  greenhouse gas reduction
• Demonstrate leadership and develop self-reliance

26
The Community Energy Association

• Promoting better energy management in communities
  
• Community focused
• Linking partners
• Providing services and tools
• History
• BC Energy Aware Committee since early 90s
• Ad hoc committee following up on work by the BC
  Energy Council, focused on CEP
• 2003 Dynamic non-profit society promoting
  sensible energy solutions that meet community,
  environmental and stakeholder needs

27
Who is the CEA?
Membership 2002-03
Planning Institute of British Columbia
28
CEA Activities

• CEPs and related work in communities
• Linking communities, energy sector stakeholders
  and other partners
• Working teams on community energy issues
• Website (www.communityenergy.bc.ca)
• CEP Toolkit (free on the website)
• Other tool development
• Presentations, seminars, conferences
• Showcasing Energy Aware Award
• Expanding membership in all sectors, including
  individuals

29
How to get started

• Review CEA CEP Toolkit
• Download from www.communityenergy.bc.ca
• Consider community goals with respect to energy
• What do you want or need?
• How could CEP assist in meeting other goals
• CEA, utilities, Pembina Institute, Smart Growth
  BC, Green Buildings BC and others can offer help
• Resources/ presentations / training
• Coordination/ technical advice
• Organize a champion or team
• To kickstart and oversee the project

30
Case Studies

• Land Use and Transportation Systems Kamloops,
  Surrey, Coquitlam, Quesnel, SFU, Southeast False
  Creek (Vancouver), others
• Building design Shoal Point (Victoria),
  Vancouver Works Yard, and many other green
  buildings in BC and elsewhere
• Alternative energy supply China Creek small
  hyrdo, (Hupacasath) Vancouver/Delta landfill
  methane geothermal heat pumps at Sun Rivers
  others
• Community facilities Lillooet solar pool
• District Energy City of North Vancouver
• First Nations projects Pembina has many
• Many others on different aspects

31
Resources

• CEA website (www.comunityenergy.bc.ca)
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities
  (www.fcm.ca)
• Pembina Institute (www.pembina.org)
• Utilities BC Hydro, BC Gas
• ICLEI (www.iclei.org)
• Canadian Sustainable Energy (www.newenergy.org)

32
Resources (contd)

• One Less Tonne at http//climatechangesolutions.
  com
• Federal Climate Change Plan Environment Canada,
  Natural Resources Canada, Industry Canada, Indian
  and Northern Affairs Canada
• BC Government
• GVRD Climate Change site (www.gvrd.bc.ca/climate/)
  
• California Energy Commission (www.energy.ca.gov)

33
Conclusion

• Self-reliance, independence, and prosperity of
  your community can be greatly enhanced by
  addressing energy
• Many opportunities and benefits await
• The process has been clearly mapped with many
  case studies to learn from
• Resources are available
• An energy-smart community is a great community

34
Thank you

• Community Energy Association
• www.communityenergy.bc.ca