Representatives of the Energy Efficiency Community
Pilot Project being undertaken in Port Hope Simpson and Hopedale will be
in the two communities this week to meet with town councils and
potential partners and to arrange details for the community-level
outreach portion of the program.
The pilot project, being undertaken by Newfoundland
and Labrador Hydro (Hydro) on behalf of the Provincial Government, will
explore conservation and efficiency opportunities in the two coastal
Labrador communities. The project, originally announced in October, is
designed specifically for communities reliant on diesel generation.
"The contract for the project management and
communications services component of the program has now been awarded
and representatives will be in the two communities to hire an
administrator and up to three people per community for a short-term
period to conduct energy efficiency walkthroughs," said the Honourable
Kathy Dunderdale, Minister of Natural Resources. "The scope of the
residential and commercial energy walkthroughs is now being finalized
with the assistance of Green Communities Canada, a leader in
community-based energy efficiency program delivery. We look forward to
the successful launch of this program."
Hydro and the Conservation Corps of Newfoundland
Labrador, the successful bidder for the project management of the
program, are currently finalizing the strategy for this project and are
including mechanisms for the involvement of people in the community in
the development and delivery of the community outreach efforts that will
launch the project.
A list of eligible Labrador coastal communities was
developed based on criteria including current annual load and forecast
growth. Communities were invited to apply to participate in the project.
Hopedale and Port Hope Simpson were selected as the two successful
communities.
Hydro is also conducting an alternative energy study
in seven of Labrador�s coastal communities � Cartwright, Charlottetown,
Hopedale, Makkovik, Mary�s Harbour, Nain and Port Hope Simpson. This
study will determine alternative energy options for these communities to
complement existing diesel generation systems, including the potential
for solar, wind and small-scale hydroelectric developments.
Installation of the required monitoring equipment has
already begun and will coincide with regular maintenance visits to the
communities. The equipment will confirm wind, solar and rainfall levels.
"The results of this study will help us maximize our
resource potential in Labrador�s coastal communities," said Minister
Dunderdale. "We will be able to find out the potential costs associated
with harnessing this energy."
The Provincial Government is allocating $500,000 to
these two projects.
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