Acting Locally — NOW “Community Power” solutions and services

The Challenge

• Canadian municipalities and communities account for an estimated 60 percent of national energy consumption.
• Since 1901, the proportion of Canadians who live in urban areas has grown from 38 percent to 80 percent, and by 2020, this figure could reach 85 percent.
• A recent report released by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities suggests that municipalities, as a result of current energy use, have direct or indirect control over about 44 per cent of Canada’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
• The population is expected to grow to about 43 million by 2050, further increasing the impact on the environment.
• Municipalities have a critical role to play in addressing energy use, GHG emissions and locally based environmental sustainability.

OSEA’s Community Power Solution service offers great opportunities to municipalities for improving the energy performance of communities, enhancing community quality of life and contributing to Ontario’s economic development through green jobs and green investment.

What Is “Community Power” solution services?

Community Power is all about community ownership and the building of capacity for locally inspired community action around energy sustainabil- ity. Community Power is about cre- ating a resiliency at the local level by local residents by connecting people in their communities to where their energy comes from and how they use it. Meg Wheatley, author of Turning to One Another: Simple Conversa- tions to Restore Hope to the Future, is known for her quote, “There is no power greater than a commun- ity discovering what it cares about”. OSEA is focused on delivering com- munity power solutions to our clients: municipalities, First Nations, Local Distribution companies, Credit Unions, faith-based and educational organizations.

Benefits of "Community Power" Solutions

Community Power Solutions can be scaled to meet the needs of all types of communities, ranging from rural and small remote towns to medium-sized municipalities and large cities. Community Power Solutions apply to new developments, existing neighborhoods and even whole regions. In every case, the potential benefits are the same. They are:

Representative OSEA Experience In Delivering “Community Power” Solutions