January 21, 2007
TORONTO - The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural
Resources, unveiled his Government's plan to invest approximately $300 million
over four years to promote smarter energy use and reduce the amount of harmful
emissions that affect the health of Canadians. At the Metro Home Show in
Toronto, the Minister announced the ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative, which will
encourage Canadian homeowners, businesses and industry, and the
building/renovations sector to use energy more wisely.
"It's time to recognize that the largest untapped source of energy is the
energy we waste," said Minister Lunn. "I am pleased to announce that this
ecoENERGY package includes direct financial support to help Canadians, small
business and industry make wise choices that save energy and money, while
helping to clean up our environment."
The ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative has the following three components:
The $220-million ecoENERGY Retrofit program will offer
homeowners, along with smaller businesses and organizations, the support and
information they need to retrofit their homes, buildings and industrial
processes.
The $60-million ecoENERGY for Buildings and Houses will
encourage the construction and retrofit of more energy-efficient buildings and
houses.
The $20-million ecoENERGY for Industry program aims to
accelerate energy-saving investments and the exchange of best practices
information within Canada's industrial sector.
"There are more than 13 million homes and 380,000 buildings in this country.
They use 30 percent of our energy and are responsible for almost 30 percent of
Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Canada's industries account for 38 percent of
energy demand and are responsible for 34 percent of our greenhouse gases," said
Minister Lunn. "These are challenges that we must address."
These ecoENERGY components are specifically designed to provide incentives
for retrofitting existing houses, small-building and industry stock, to raise
the bar for new construction, and to continue collaboration with industry on
efficiency improvements. They reinforce extensive Energy Efficiency Act
amendments already included in the Government's Clean Air Regulatory Agenda that
will tighten regulation of a wide range of consumer products and equipment.
Program details, including information about how to apply for ecoENERGY grants,
will be available when the program starts in April 2007.
Today's announcement is the third in a suite of ecoENERGY Initiatives to help
Canadians use energy more efficiently, boost renewable energy supplies and
develop cleaner-energy technologies. The other initiatives are the $230-million
ecoENERGY Technology Initiative that funds the research, development and
demonstration of clean energy technologies, and the ecoENERGY Renewable
Initiative, a $1.5-billion investment to boost Canada's renewable-energy
supplies.
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Canada's New Government has launched a $300-million ecoENERGY Efficiency
Initiative. At the Metro Home Show in Toronto today, the Honourable Gary Lunn,
Minister of Natural Resources, unveiled his Government's plan to promote smarter
energy use and reduce the amount of harmful emissions that affect the health of
Canadians.
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For more information, media may contact:
Kathleen OlsonActing Director of CommunicationsOffice of the
MinisterNatural Resources CanadaOttawa613-996-2007
The following media backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media:
"The
ecoENERGY Efficiency Initiative: Using Less. Living Better"
"Energy
Efficiency Regulations"
"Tips
for saving energy and money"
NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.
