Smart energy benchmarking for Canada

August 29, 2022 Editor

Natural Resources Canada has awarded funding for the development of a smart energy scorecard for utilities to benchmark their decarbonisation.

The award of Ca$815,115 (US$630,570) to the Smart Grid Innovation Network is aimed to engage the country’s utilities in the development of the scorecard, which is planned to record ambitions, activities and progress toward Canada’s 2050 net zero goal.

As such it is intended to support the utilities and enable them to identify and share best practices for the modernisation of the grid across the country.

“While Canada already has one of the cleanest grids in the world, we know that we can and must produce more clean electricity to power the low-carbon economy and build a more sustainable future,” asserts Minister of Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson.

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“That is why the government is pleased to support the development of the Smart Energy Scorecard, making it easier for utilities to raise their ambition, map out their goals and measure their progress toward the achievement of a net-zero electricity grid.”

The Smart Grid Innovation Network is a network of leaders in Canada’s smart energy sector focused on supporting implementations to drive the country’s clean energy transition.

The Network is working with members Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, Siemens, the innovation organisation Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) and the University of New Brunswick.

The award was made by Natural Resources Canada from its $1.56 billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways programme for renewable energy and grid modernisation projects over the four years 2021 to 2025.

Among recent actions, the Smart Grid Innovation Network has introduced a smart energy supply chain online database to connect the country’s expertise with capability needs and it monitors the development and deployment of electric vehicles.