Loney to Make Winnipeg the Leader in Solar

Newest Plank in Green Jobs and Affordable Energy

Released August 12, 2022

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Shaun Loney announced today that when elected Mayor in October he will leverage his proven track record of creating green jobs to make Winnipeg the Canadian leader in solar power. His Community Solar Action Plan will put Winnipeggers on a path to personally benefit from more than $2.5-billion of net energy savings.   

“Thousands of young people leave Winnipeg for opportunities in other cities they view as more progressive,” said Loney.  “As Mayor, I will lead a green jobs revolution so Winnipeg is the go-to place where young people will have rewarding careers that incorporate their values here at home.”

Loney said his Community Solar Action Plan will kickstart thousands of solar systems to be installed on city-owned facilities, homes and commercial buildings by 2030. Using innovative financing tools and leveraging federal green funds, this will be accomplished at no net cost for taxpayers with energy savings more than offsetting startup costs. 

Loney noted that the City of Winnipeg’s Community Energy Investment Roadmap report, released in June, outlines how more than 100,000 person years of employment in green jobs can be created in Winnipeg but the City has continued to fail to act to create the ecosystem for these green jobs to emerge.    

This announcement builds upon several related green initiatives his campaign has already announced, including a plan to create the Winnipeg Tree Trust with a focus on green infrastructure, an innovative electric vehicle strategy and turning Winnipeg Transit into MetroMobility to give Winnipeggers a big-city transit system.

Gavin Pitchford, Executive Director of the Canada’s Clean50 Award program said, “Shaun Loney is uniquely qualified to quarterback the clean energy transition in Winnipeg.” Canada Clean50 recently recognized Loney’s green economy track record as having national importance. Shaun was honoured with the prestigious award for co-founding and growing Aki Energy which has installed $15 million worth of heat pumps on Manitoba First Nations.

ScotiaBank also acknowledged Loney as being a green business leader in Canada by awarding BUILD – which Loney also co-founded – its inaugural Green Business Leadership Award. BUILD has lowered utility bills for 15,000 low-income households in Winnipeg by retrofitting older homes to reduce energy and water usage..

Ken Klassen, a Winnipeg-based international expert on energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable communities said, “When Loney was Director of Energy Policy for the Government of Manitoba, he led a team that took Manitoba from a laggard to leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and green buildings. I can’t wait to see how his experience and vision will benefit the City.”

Loney noted that he will continue to announce more green job platform planks as his Mayoral campaign continues to unfold.

“Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels isn’t a problem to overcome, it represents the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetimes,” said Loney. “It is frustrating how slow the City of Winnipeg has been to seize these opportunities. That will change the first day that I become Mayor.”

Highlights of Loney’s Civic Community Solar Action Plan: 

1. The City of Winnipeg will lead-by-example by requiring that new civic buildings and major renovations of existing civic facilities incorporate solar power. 

2. A by-law will be introduced requiring the planning of new developments and subdivisions to be optimized for solar power to the maximum extent feasible.

3.  Individual Winnipeggers and foundations will be invited to lease solar panels in commercial-scale solar installations at civic community centres, utility rights-of-way, parking lots and other civic properties in exchange for an annual dividend or credit on their utility bill.  

4. The City of Winnipeg will work with Manitoba Hydro to adopt best practices being employed by other progressive cities to streamline, expedite and simplify the permit process and inspections for solar installations.

5.  Residential installations will be made easy to install and cost-saving from day one as the City of Winnipeg will negotiate bulk purchase pricing with industry and incorporate new financial incentives for residential solar power systems offered by the Government of Canada and promised incentives from Efficiency Manitoba.  The remaining cost will be eligible for newly announced Government of Canada low interest loans.  

6. Remaining upfront costs for institutional, commercial and industrial property owners will be removed by the City offering ‘Property Assessed Clean Energy’ (PACE) financing so they can pay-as-they-save.

7. The CIty of Winnipeg will encourage innovation by supporting demonstrations of new and emerging solar system technology, especially those that incorporate energy storage.

8. The City of Winnipeg will work with industry, educators and other local partners to develop and implement a solar workforce strategy so that the people who most need work are connected to the work that most needs to be done. 

Backgrounder

  • The average cost of solar-generated electricity has plunged by over 80% since 2010. 

  • According to Natural Resources Canada, Winnipeg has one of the best solar resources of any major city in Canada. Despite this, the City of Winnipeg has failed to demonstrate leadership by incorporating solar energy systems consistently in its new or renovated facilities nor has it offered any significant support for Winnipeggers to install solar systems.

- In contrast, the City of Toronto has installed more than 100 rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on a variety of City-owned buildings including community centres, work yards, libraries and EMS stations.

- The City of Calgary has completed or is in the process installing PV systems for 21 of its civic buildings and other facilities.

- The City of Ottawa has launched a new program that includes 100% financing of solar energy systems at 0% interest over 20 years with the loan tied to the property, not the borrower.

  • The City of Winnipeg’s Climate Action Plan sets three renewable energy goals/actions for 2030 that are unlikely to be achieved without Loney’s Community Solar Action Plan.

  • Natural Resources Canada Greener Home Grant offers up to $5,000 to retrofit homes and MURBs with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity and up to $1,000 to install batteries to store solar energy. It also offers interest free loans of up to $40,000 for eligible measures (including solar systems) repayable over 10 years.

  • Efficiency Manitoba stated at their March 2021 virtual public annual meeting that they will launch a solar energy program. Rebates will be provided to customers who install an approved grid-connected PV system to an existing building.

  • Manitoba Hydro is developing a new 20-year ‘Integrated Resource Plan’ that will clarify their future policies and level of support for solar energy by the utility and its customers.

Sources

  1. City of Winnipeg Community Energy Investment Roadmap.Sustainability Solutions Group, June 2022.

  2. City of Winnipeg Climate Action Plan Report.City of Winnipeg, May 2018.

  3. The Cost of Solar Power Has Fallen by Over 80% since 2010. Here’s Why.World Economic Forum, November 4, 2021. 

  4. Photovoltaic Potential and Solar Resource Maps of CanadaNatural Resources Canada, 2020.

  5. Canada Greener Homes Initiative.Natural Resources Canada, Accessed August 10, 2022.