The Muskoka town of Parry Sound will soon become one of the first communities in Canada to generate as much energy as it consumes, through a new smart electric grid project, funded in part by the federal government.
Today the federal government announced it will be investing 2.9 million dollars into a local Bracebridge company’s smart grid project, which will help to reduce the amount of energy consumed in the area. The project, by Bracebridge Generation Ltd, is called SPEEDIER (Smart Proactive Enabled Energy Distribution Intelligently Efficiently Responsive).
A smart grid is an electricity supply system that uses digital technology, like smart meters and smart appliances, to detect and react to changes in usage, helping to deliver energy more efficiently. They help to reduce greenhouse gas because they increase the amount of renewable energy a power system can use.
“By investing in this project, the Government of Canada is reducing barriers to innovation and positioning Canada as a global leader in clean technologies,” says Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, Paul Lefebvre, who made the funding announcement in Parry Sound today.
The funding will help to improve the reliability of the local grid, defer costly upgrades, help to speed up the adoption of electric vehicles and give residents more control over how they use energy. The project is expected to help Parry Sound dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
“Lakeland believes that innovation in the electricity sector is the way of the future. Our SPEEDIER project in conjunction with our partners and support by NRCan is proof of this important transition,” says Chief Executive Officer, Lakeland Holding Ltd / Bracebridge Generation Ltd., Chris Litschko
Funding for the project comes from the federal government’s Smart Grid Program.
