ATL: CPA fighting tsunami of federal electrification funding

Provinces in Atlantic Canada have been offered funding to support programming that would see the end of furnace oil for home heating. It is part of the "electrification of everything” program the federal government is offering through the Canada Greener Homes Grant.

In September, the federal government announced up to $118.4 million in funding earmarked for Atlantic Canada. In November, a further $250 million was announced nationally and intended to help provinces such as those in the Maritimes where the dependence on heating oil is extremely high.

In Nova Scotia, for example, the minister of energy announced in December $140 million over four years in energy upgrades for consumers. The program is restricted to electric heat pumps. And like the Canada Greener Homes Grant, propane is not part of the program. This is even though propane can immediately reduce GHGs by 38% relative to oil furnaces and the electrical grid in Nova Scotia is powered by over 60% coal and crude oil.

The CPA continues to push against the focus on electrification, especially in provinces like Nova Scotia where the expanded use of electricity based on coal is not only bad for the environment but very expensive.

Tellingly, in making the announcement, the Nova Scotia minister of energy explained why the focus is on electricity: "This is how we get Nova Scotians the share of the federal funding that our partners at the federal level announced this fall.” 

The CPA has met with government officials on this issue and will meet again in January to discuss ways to have propane included in the province’s emission reduction strategy.