Power Lunch webinars off to strong start
Toronto, 26.06.2009 - REEEP International Secretariat
Canada and the US already have a variety of local and regional renewable energy financing and awareness initiatives, including Local Improvement Charges (LIC), the Climate Smart Loan Program, and the PowerHouse program. But how can local communities really use them to drive the uptake on the ground?
This was the topic of REEEP’s second Power Lunch webinar on Thursday June 25th, a midday event that drew 36 attendees from a wide spread of Canadian and US municipalities, utilities, consulting groups and energy and environment networks.
Presenters included Emanuel Machado, the Director of Corporate Planning and Sustainable Community Development for the City of Dawson Creek, whose work has helped make the city a hub of alternative energy technologies in a Northern environment, and Ann Livingston, who is currently serving as Boulder County's first Sustainability Coordinator . Boulder Colorado’s ClimateSmart Loan Program provides financing for renewable energy and/or energy efficiency improvements to local residential and commercial properties – a groundbreaking program that builds on the special assessment model piloted in Berkeley, California.
The webinar format allows for active participant discussion, which in this case revolved around the practical considerations for organizing a loan program such as what contractor training/certification processes are required, and how do you analyze the data and evaluate for success? There were also technical questions on how the LIC tax structure could work.
Participants seemed enthusiastic in their feedback:
“The webinars have been terrific. If you need help generating BC examples . . . please feel free to let me know and I’d be happy to help. “
“Thanks so much for organizing - it was my first webinar and a great one to start with!”
Power Lunching habit
The Power Lunch webinar series was designed a means of extending REEEP’s outreach in North America, with an emphasis on Canada. The 8 free webinars are held from 12.30 -2.00pm Eastern time, and are clustered into three major topics:
Local change series
This series of four webinars provides an opportunity for Canadian and American local leaders, city planners, policy analysts and on-the ground practitioners to communicate and share experiences and lessons learned on the development and implementation of renewable energy & energy efficiency projects and initiatives.
Canada's Net Zero Energy Homes Series
An opportunity for policy makers, industry, and practitioners in the United States and Canada to discuss the opportunities and potential impacts of Canada's Net Zero Energy Project.
Ontario's Green Energy Act Series
This series will explore the strategic opportunities the Green Energy Act will provide for utility professionals, renewable energy and energy efficiency program and project developers and practitioners.
The Power Lunch website (click here) provides a full overview of the webinar series, including access to presentations, videos, speaker biographies and background information.
Following a summer break, the Power Lunch series resumes on September 24th with a seminar in the Ontario series: The Real Savings Behind Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.