Here's how the City of Regina plans to become fully renewable by 2050

The City of Regina has released the framework which outlines its plan to becoming a renewable, net-zero city by 2050.

The framework includes seven big moves and 31 related actions that aim to mitigate climate change by reducing emissions, improving energy consumption and switching to renewable or low-carbon energy sources. The list was compiled in consultation with Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG). Planning for the framework began in 2020.

Brittany MacLean, a consultant with SSG, said if the city continues to use today’s policies and practices, there would be no decline in GHG emissions, despite steps and efficiencies that have already been implemented.

“Regina’s population is growing and so it kind of counteracts those efficiencies, so we need a different pathway to hit the target the council set,” she said. “For Regina, we saw about one-third [of the emissions and energy use] comes from industry, about one-third comes from residential, commercial and municipal buildings and about one third comes from transportation.”

The big moves include:

• building retrofits
• clean heating
• net-zero new construction
• renewable energy generation
• low-emissions vehicles
• increasing active transportation and transit use
• clean and re-energize industry

The city said these steps outline the actions it can take towards mitigating climate change, but it will take effort from all members of the community to reach the net-zero goal.

“The framework is ambitious and requires sustained efforts from the City of Regina, residents and all sectors of the community,” Louise Folk, the executive director of people and transformation with the city, said. “We recognize that we do not have jurisdiction over consumer choices and decisions throughout all sectors, but what we can do is act as a catalyst by taking a leadership role, implementing actions within our direct control, setting a community target, reporting out on that target, building partnerships and providing information so the community can make informed choices and decisions.”

The city said if the actions in the framework are followed, by 2030 Regina’s emissions would be reduced by 52 per cent and its energy use would be cut by 24 per cent. It said the actions in the framework support global climate change mitigation targets which aim to prevent warming beyond 1.5 C by 2050.

To implement all actions, the city said it would take a total city-wide investment of $12.5 billion by 2050. The framework is estimated to create more than 4,000 full time jobs per year in the community.

The city is depending on funding from other levels of government to hit the 2050 target.

THE BIG MOVES

The first big move in the framework plan is building retrofits, which relates to upgrading energy-consuming systems in city buildings. This can range from upgrading lighting to LEDs and adding more insulation, to replacing windows and updating heating and cooling systems. This move would result in thermal and electrical savings in buildings. This work will start immediately.

Clean heating is the second big move listed in the city’s framework. It focuses on buildings’ efficiency first, followed by adding renewables and switching to electric space and water heating systems. The city would switch to clean fuels in existing buildings and then switch to clean fuels in all new construction projects. The city said it would create emissions reductions in the medium term. This work will start immediately.

The third big move is net-zero new construction. According to the City of Regina, all provinces have agreed to adopt the federal government’s plan for a net-zero energy-ready building code for new residential builds by 2030. Efficiency Canada defines a net-zero building as one that “uses an enhanced building envelope, solar orientation and high-efficiency equipment to produce as much clean energy as it uses throughout the year. The city said that would mean fewer new buildings will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.” This work will start immediately.

Renewable energy generation is the fourth big move. This can be done in many forms, including use of solar panels and wind farms. The city said all shifts to renewable energy require drastic changes and can be a challenge to scale up to meet current energy demand. The city will start maximizing solar panels on new and existing buildings immediately. Other elements of this move, including creating solar farms and wind farms, will begin in 2025.

The framework’s fifth big move is low-emissions vehicles. The city plans to start educating the community about electric vehicles and will start purchasing electric vehicles for the municipal fleet. In 2024, it will start purchasing electric transit buses. The city estimates it will have a fully electric transit fleet by 2039. In 2035, it will start electrifying its medium and heavy duty trucks.

The sixth big move is increasing active transportation and transit use which the city said would be “critical to reducing emissions from transportation.” The city is expected to release a Transit Master Plan in the coming months which will aim to help the city become a less car-reliant community. The city will begin some elements of this move, including promoting trails and active transportation, immediately. Transit service is expected to expand starting in 2024.

The final big move proposed by the city is to clean and re-energize industry. The city said the industrial sector is expected to be responsible for one-third of Regina’s emissions from 2016-2050. Although the city does not have direct input in the majority of these sectors, it plans to host working groups, share best practices and public shows of support for them to increase process efficiency. The city added “the industrial sector must consider alternative fuels.” Most of these actions will start in the coming years.

The City of Regina will host a virtual public information meeting about the framework on Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m.

The framework will be considered at a special executive committee meeting on March 24 and will be presented to city council March 30.