April 10, 2008
Ontario is committed to supporting its municipalities in their efforts to renew infrastructure. The Municipal Eco Challenge Fund is a $20-million grant program dedicated to municipal infrastructure projects that reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
§ The fund is a component of the government’s Go Green climate change plan which calls for GHG reductions of six per cent below 1990 levels by 2014; 15 per cent below 1990 by 2020; 80 per cent below 1990 by 2050.
The Opportunity for Municipalities:
From sports complexes and community centres to town halls and water treatment plants, Ontario’s municipalities are responsible for maintaining – and paying for – a great deal of infrastructure.
Municipalities spend nearly a billion dollars a year on energy costs – and have a large impact on the environment. Electricity consumption, from municipal operations alone, causes at least 1.5 million tonnes (1.5 billion kilograms) of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
How It Works:
The Municipal Eco Challenge Fund has two important components: municipal capacity building programs and infrastructure grants:
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Infrastructure Grants ($14 million): including $10 million for proven and low risk projects that provide a strong probability of payback in a reasonable timeframe and $4 million for innovative projects that will highlight – and move forward – effective new approaches and technologies.
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Municipal Capacity Building ($6 million): The government is working in partnership with the Association of Municipalities’ Local Authority Services Ltd. and the Canada Green Building Council to provide municipalities with training, technical support, and a best-practices network for identifying opportunities to reduce GHG emissions.
Applications Submissions
Application guidelines and forms are available on the Ministry of Energy’s website at www.energy.gov.on.ca.
ontario.ca/mah-news
Disponible en français
Shanna Brisebois
Minister’s Office
416-555-1234
Sylvia Kovesfalvi
Ministry of Energy
416-327-4334