Renewable Regina Annual Update

On March 30, 2022, City Council adopted the Energy & Sustainability Framework (the Framework), and it was requested that Administration provide yearly progress reporting regarding implementation of the framework to Executive Committee starting the second quarter of 2023. 

This report summarizes the City’s progress since the Framework was adopted, highlights significant achievements by the City, and provides an outlook of upcoming initiatives.

Financial Impact

Sustainable principles are being built into projects and programs as normal course of business. Estimates are used to assign costs related to sustainable actions. Incorporating these principles into operations and projects can result in a higher up-front cost; however, future energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) savings are expected to consistently result in lower operating costs over time.

Significant new capital and operating investments were included in the 2023/2024 budget to support achieving the goal of being net zero and utilizing 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050. Some of these include:

·         $20.6 million for Battery Electric Buses and facility upgrades to support City bus electrification

·         $1.8 million to launch the Food and Yard Waste Program

·         $2.2 million for facility upgrades

·         $1.5 million for light-duty vehicle electric charging stations

·         $646,000 for Transit On-Demand Service

·         $425,000 in additional funds to develop the Sustainable Energy & Adaptation Department

Federal and provincial grants related to climate change mitigation and adaptation are available to municipalities. These grants often require climate mitigation plans and climate lens assessments to be eligible. Administration continuously reviews which grants are available and has frequent contact with funding agencies. In 2022 and early 2023, multiple funding applications were submitted or are planned to be submitted to support our sustainability goals. The most significant of these green initiative funding applications are detailed in the table below:

Policy/Strategic Impact

The ongoing work of implementing the framework is guided by the City's Strategic Priorities and the overarching theme that connects them: "Recognizing our relationship to the land, we grow our community and improve quality of life." This statement reinforces an Indigenous worldview that our relationship with the land is foundational, and our respect and care for this relationship informs and influences our decision-making.

Progress on the Framework supports the City’s Strategic Priority of Environmental Sustainability with the goal to achieve net zero emissions and become 100 per cent renewable by 2050. Implementation of the actions included in the Framework is the path to achieving this goal.

Implementation of the Framework strongly aligns with the objectives of the Operational Excellence Strategic Priority. Efficiency in operations often results in improved energy usage and GHG reductions. Examples of complementary work identified in the efficiency review include the Idle Reduction Program, the Fleet Ratchet, and the Facilities Energy Monitoring Program.

The City of Regina’s commitment to being renewable by 2050 is reinforced by policies in Design Regina: The Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2013-48 (OCP).

Masterplans such as the Regina Transit Masterplan, The Transportation Masterplan and Waste Plan Regina and the Wastewater Masterplan all have goals that support the goals of the Framework.

None with respect to this report.

The Renewable Regina web page is being redesigned to provide an enhanced user experience when searching for Framework-related content and Regina’s Net-Zero 2050 target. The revised layout and updated content will:

·         provide additional information on Framework-related projects happening at the City

·         outline the 7 Big Moves

·         provide information on how residents can help Regina reach net-zero 2050.

Other work related to communications and engagement is described in Appendix C – Working with Partners and the Community.

The Framework outlines a dynamic and living plan for the community to reach its goals of becoming 100 per cent renewable and net-zero by 2050. The Framework is ambitious and requires sustained effort from the City of Regina, residents and all sectors of the community to reduce energy use where possible and drastically increase energy efficiency. These actions minimize GHG emissions, decrease the burden on utility systems and maximize the financial return on community investments while improving quality of life for today and future generations.

The City recognizes that as a municipal government, it does not have jurisdiction over consumer choices and each sector in the community. However, to be successful, the City can act as a catalyst by taking a leadership role, developing partnerships, and providing information so the community can make informed choices and decisions.

The Seven Big Moves identified in the development of the Framework include: 

·         Big Move 1: Building Retrofits

·         Big Move 2: Clean Heating

·         Big Move 3: Net-Zero New Construction

·         Big Move 4: Renewable Energy Generation

·         Big Move 5: Low-Emissions Vehicles

·         Big Move 6: Increase Active Transportation and Transit Use

·         Big Move 7: Cleaning and Re-energizing Industry

Additional information on the Seven Big Moves can be found in Appendix A.

There are additional actions that the City has direct control over including:

·         Reducing landfill-related emissions:

o        Landfill Gas to Energy system

o        Food & Yard Waste Program (residential green carts)

o        Increased landfill diversion

·         Using renewable natural gas at the landfill and wastewater treatment plant as a renewable energy source

·         Increasing spatial densification for residential and commercial development

There are external factors that impact our journey to net-zero. The largest external factor is the carbon intensity of Saskatchewan’s electrical generation. The carbon intensity depends on the type of generation with coal being the highest carbon intensity and renewables like solar, wind and hydroelectric being the lowest. SaskPower is a key stakeholder whose own goals of 1) decreasing emissions from the power grid by 50 per cent by 2030; and 2) working towards low or non-emitting power generation options to reduce GHG emissions to net-zero by 2050, will contribute significantly to Regina achieving our community goal by 2050. 

Framework Implementation

Following the adoption of the Framework in March 2022, Administration moved from a planning and development phase to an implementation phase which is a pivotal juncture in the transition to a renewable community. 

Building the Conditions for Success

An important component for achieving any goal is to build the conditions for success. The City continues to implement actions to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. In October 2022, the Sustainable Energy & Adaptation (SE&A) department was created to advance this work for the City and the community. This new department resides in the Transformation Office and provides leadership and support to the organization. 

The City’s lines of business are diverse and service areas have different levels of maturity as it relates to delivering sustainability initiatives, therefore, SE&A tailors its approach based on what is required by each service area. SE&A provides support to all areas within the organization.

In service areas where programs and policies don’t exist, the SE&A team leads the development of policies and programs. Examples of work that the group is leading includes the idle reduction program, the development of the Energy & GHG Inventory and in the development of a Green Building policy.

Some service areas have more mature policies and programs related to sustainability and GHG reduction. For these groups SE&A provides a support role by conducting reviews for best practices, calculating GHG emissions and coordinating work as required. Examples of this work include review of climate lens assessments for grant applications and participating in building designs for City facilities.

Taking Action

Implementing the actions included in the Framework is required to deliver on the City’s Environmental Sustainability Strategic Priority. The two strategies identified to deliver this goal are leading by example with municipal operations and working with partners and the community to implement the Framework.

Leading by Example

The City has the opportunity to lead the way and demonstrate benefits that can be achieved by incorporating the Renewable Regina actions. As noted above, administration has many initiatives already underway or planned between now and 2024 that align with the Framework. Detailed information on the work currently underway is included in Appendix B.

By advancing this work in City operations, we use what we learn to inform our education efforts, increase awareness, and support adoption of green initiatives in the community.

Working with Partners and the Community

In addition to direct action through municipal operations, the City continues to expand its role as a community leader to advance progress on the Seven Big Moves through ongoing advocacy, partnership, awareness, and education. The Framework identifies several opportunities for partnership and collaboration, and notes where community education and leadership from other sectors are required.

During the development of the Framework, an initial Community Advisory Group was created to gather stakeholder input. The City is in the process of creating a new advisory group with an updated mandate that focuses on the next phase of implementing the plan across the community.

At the base of this community leadership effort is a renewed commitment from the City to engage with Indigenous communities and residents on the Framework. This allows us to understand how it could be strengthened, as well as identify where opportunities and challenges exist to work together and support existing Indigenous leadership in this area. Several collaborative partnerships with important stakeholders developed as the Framework implementation progressed. These included strategic relationships with SaskPower, SaskEnergy, the University of Regina, the Regina chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and Economic Development Regina (EDR).  Details on these partnerships and other community outreach initiatives are included in Appendix C.

Measurement and Reporting

Measurement and reporting of energy consumption and GHG emissions for both the community and the City is required to determine if actions are successful. A baseline model was developed in 2021 as part of the Framework development.

The model utilizes several different data sets from sources such as SaskPower, SaskEnergy, City of Regina, fuel databases and more. The current plan is to run the model and report on results every three years, as the model is extremely complex and labour intensive to run.

Corporate emissions have been directly measured and reported since 2019. The 2022 City of Regina Energy and Emissions Inventory is attached as Appendix D. It details where energy is being used, types of energy being used, and the associated emissions from this energy consumption.  The inventory highlights the most impactful areas for action. Examples of these areas include transit electrification and reduction of landfill gas emissions through landfill gas capture.  It also shows that future emissions can be avoided through diversion of organic waste from the landfill. The landfill represents 61 per cent of City emissions and is our largest opportunity to reduce corporate emissions.

The inventory shows that as a corporation, our energy consumption has increased over the previous year; however, due to the availability of increased renewable energy and improved landfill gas capture, our GHG emissions have reduced. 

The City continues to measure and report on corporate emissions on an annual basis and uses this data to determine where to focus efforts to have the largest impact on energy consumption and emission reductions.

Administration will continue to provide a report to Executive Committee on an annual basis.

At its meeting on March 30, 2022, City Council:

1.      Approved the Energy & Sustainability Framework and authorized the use of the Framework as a guide for future energy, emissions, and sustainability-related decisions and actions.

2.      Requested that Administration provide a yearly progress report regarding implementation of the Framework to Executive Committee starting in the second quarter of 2023.

Respectfully Submitted,               Respectfully Submitted,

Greg Kuntz, Director              Louise Usick, Strategic Initiavites Lead

Sustainable Energy & Adaptation              Transformation Office

Prepared by: Greg Kuntz, Director, Sustainable Energy & Adaptation