News Release

$2 billion ecoENERGY Initiatives to help reduce smog and greenhouse gases

Business Announcement

Natural Resources Canada



This press release is also available in French.

Cambridge - Today, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn highlighted how the $2 billion ecoENERGY Initiatives will reduce smog and greenhouse gas emissions that affect the environment and the health of Canadians.

"Canada is an emerging energy superpower, but energy production and use are the source of most of our air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions," said Minister Lunn, speaking at Ecologix, a Cambridge-based manufacturer of energy-efficient furnaces. "Our challenge is to be a clean energy superpower and our ecoENERGY Initiatives are designed to meet this challenge."

The ecoENERGY Initiatives are a set of focused measures to help Canadians use energy more efficiently, boost renewable energy supplies and develop cleaner energy technologies. The suite of initiatives announced individually last week includes:

  • The ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative, approximately $300 million to promote smarter energy use, including the new ecoENERGY Retrofit Program to support energy-efficiency improvements in homes, and small buildings and industries;

  • The ecoENERGY Technology Initiative, a $230-million investment in energy S&T to fund the research, development and demonstration of clean energy technologies; and

  • The ecoENERGY Renewable Initiative, an investment of more than $1.5 billion to boost Canada's renewable energy supplies.

"The ecoENERGY Initiatives complement the regulatory approach of our proposed Clean Air Act," said Minister Lunn. "They will deliver real results in the short term and drive the improvements in energy efficiency and use of clean energy that are needed to support upcoming regulations."

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FOR BROADCAST USE:

In Cambridge, Ontario, today, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn highlighted how the $2 billion ecoENERGY Initiatives that were recently announced will reduce smog and greenhouse gas emissions that affect the environment and the health of Canadians.

For more information, media may contact:

Kathleen Olson
Acting Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-996-2007

The following media backgrounder is available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media:

ecoENERGY Initiatives: Protecting the Health of Canadians and the Environment

NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.


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