Remote, Indigenous communities leading the way to net zero and Canada’s renewable energy transition

Realizing Canada’s net-zero future must reflect the visions and potential of rural and remote communities and First Nations. Energy transitions outside Canada’s major urban centres will look very different as rural and remote communities and nations operate at different scales and with diverse resources. Canada has a tremendous opportunity to drive the transition toward renewable energy-based solutions that respect and leverage local circumstances, with 79 per cent of its municipalities outside major metropolitan areas, and most Indigenous Peoples living in rural and remote areas. Locally, nationally, and globally, we all stand to benefit from collective support for and cross-learning from each other at various scales and across regions. There are 178 remote Indigenous and northern communities that are not connected to the electricity grid or natural gas infrastructure. Indigenous, rural, and remote communities that rely on diesel for heat and electricity, or utility providers from outside the community, are at the forefront of Canada’s transition to net-zero emissions. Their impetus and drive to avoid diesel's local and global environmental impacts is inspirational. Curran Crawford is a Mechanical Engineering Professor and director at the University of Victoria’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. Photograph courtesy of Curran Crawford Many technical options exist for these communities, including solar and batteries, but their effectiveness and cost competitiveness can be further improved and augmented by next-generation energy storage and integration technologies. New financing models, including capturing local economic benefits from renewable power, have the potential to create equitable local economies that are unburdened by the high cost of diesel. Policy and governance structures must accompany these technical and economic innovations to help realize reconciliation and self-determination. Community renewable energy projects, if done respectfully, can enhance community well-being. Locally sourced renewable energy is much more than just generating power. It must be harnessed, stored, distributed, and used to provide the community with the services they have determined they need while respecting the environment. The University of Victoria’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems has been partnering with coastal communities for over a decade to explore tidal and wave energy options, micro-grid integration, and energy storage options to avoid diesel-generated electricity. Tamara Krawchenko is an assistant professor at the University of Victoria’s School of Public Administration and a member of the university' Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. Photograph courtesy of Tamara Krawchenko These projects require collaboration with non-governmental organizations, industry partners, technology accelerators, and international organizations to develop new technology and financing models to enable the renewably powered future we urgently need. Indigenous communities are already leading the way, and their insights can help inform municipal and regional governments to drive low-carbon change. By supporting this collective learning and enabling communities to understand and develop their own unique solutions, we can create exemplars of what’s possible in a renewably powered future. The Government of Canada’s recent formation of an Indigenous council to guide clean energy projects is an important step toward supporting these communities. The government has also created a hub, gifted the name Wah-ila-toos (Kinship with All), to bridge multiple federal departments' operations and funding initiatives. Historically, funding for these projects was paternalistic and hard to navigate for communities. Helping to support and streamline financing for implementing renewable energy projects, as defined by those communities, is a good step. The details and scope of the council’s terms of reference will be key in reaching the government’s stated intentions to guide policy and program design, and engage Indigenous partners. It will be important that the council is enabled to contribute strategically, well beyond its early task of acting as a jury for the Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative. Canada can and must continue to demonstrate bold leadership on the global stage by fully supporting highly motivated remote and rural communities to transition quickly to renewables. They will provide leading examples that can be replicated across Canada and the world. Net zero is a tough challenge. It requires broad systems innovation beyond purely technical advancements. In order for Canada to support both community-level and global energy transformation, the funding mechanisms in Wah-ila-toos must allow for properly managed risks to foster innovations in technology, governance and financing. Status-quo approaches can reduce diesel use and emissions in the near term, but new approaches must go well beyond adding solar and batteries with traditional financing. Communities must be enabled to trial novel approaches toward complete diesel reduction, and their development pathways celebrated as steps towards net zero. This transformative process can lead to new partnerships with the potential for ongoing community and economic development. Canadian universities are already supporting local communities in their transition to renewable energy. Government can magnify our impact by integrating researchers’ and communities’ inputs directly into department and agency policies and actions to drive effective, locally led renewable energy transformation. Curran Crawford is a Mechanical Engineering Professor and director at the University of Victoria’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. Tamara Krawchenko is an assistant professor at the university's School of Public Administration and a member of University of Victoria’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. The Hill Times