New energy grant targets community buildings

Columbia Basin Trust supports renewable, alternative energy generation

A new program from the Trust supports alternative energy generation at community buildings. — Photo courtesy Columbia Basin Trust

(Columbia Basin) – From town halls to seniors’ centres, community purpose buildings are well-used gathering places that can use a lot of electricity and be costly to operate. The new Energy Sustainability Grant from Columbia Basin Trust can help these buildings generate energy, increase energy efficiency and sustainability, and reduce energy costs.

“Basin residents told us that alternative and renewable energy are important to them,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’ve already supported a few successful projects in the region and we have now created the Energy Sustainability Grants program to support even more. The goal is to support community efforts to generate energy, while reducing energy costs, saving money and becoming more environmentally and economically sustainable.”

The program provides funding for community buildings that will generate their own energy using alternative and renewable methods such as installing solar panels, biomass energy boilers or wind turbines. There’s additional support for energy conservation and efficiency efforts, such as upgrading lighting, insulation or the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The buildings must be actively used by the general public and owned by a non-profit organization, local government or First Nation.

Depending on the project scope, available support ranges from 50 to 75 per cent of project costs, up to a maximum grant of $100,000 per category. Funding is also available to help install level 2 electric vehicle charging stations. There is $900,000 available for this first intake which closes January 7, 2019. Learn more at ourtrust.org/energygrants.

This program is one of the ways the Trust is helping communities conserve energy and generate renewable and alternative energy—one of our strategic priorities. The Trust has also supported the East Kootenay community energy manager and community energy diets, as well as an electric vehicle charging network across the Basin (acceleratekootenays.ca). In addition, the Trust has helped improve energy efficiency and sustainability in 47 affordable housing buildings in the Basin.

Columbia Basin Trust supports the ideas and efforts of the people in the Columbia Basin. To learn more about the Trust’s programs and initiatives, and how it helps deliver social, economic and environmental benefits to the Basin, visit ourtrust.org or call 1-800-505-8998.