Chestermere City Council is exploring opportunities to transition to clean energy within the community, with the clean energy implementation bylaw.
City administration is working to find public engagement opportunities, such as town halls or round table discussions for residents to bring forward recommendations regarding the clean energy implementation bylaw to council in March.
“I’m presenting a pretty exciting bylaw,” City of Chestermere Legislative Administrator Kallen Morrison said during the Feb. 7 council meeting. “It’s a system to help residents and businesses transition to clean technology by allowing the city to pay upfront the costs of materials, installation, and labour.”
Eligible residents for the program will have the cost of the clean technology added to their property taxes that can be paid off over many years.
“This is a great opportunity for the city to promote itself as a green city,” Morrison said. “If the city chooses to borrow money, it wouldn’t count towards the city debt limit.”
Eligible properties include family housing, condominiums, apartments, farms, and businesses.
Clean energy improvements include high-efficiency gas furnaces, energy-efficient windows and doors, high-efficiency storage water heaters, attic, roof, and wall insulation, combined heat and power, high-efficiency central air conditioners, high-efficiency combination heaters, smart thermostats, solar thermal water heaters, high-efficiency gas boilers, heat pump water heaters, and solar PV systems.
Residents who want to transition to clean energy are required to submit an application to the city, which will be submitted to the Alberta Municipal Services Corporation for approval.
When approved, the city will incur the cost of materials and installation, and an additional tax will be applied to the resident’s property tax, which can be paid within 25 years, or anytime without punishment.
“The program was designed to encourage residents and businesses to install green and higher efficiency infrastructure by letting the municipality pay for the costs upfront and allowing the resident and business to pay off the cost over a period of time,” Morrison said.
