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Start the year with a look back at just some of the ways communities are benefitting from CEA's work with a message from our CEO, Megan Lohmann. Look forward to a raft of engaging events this month. And if you are yearning for longer days, perhaps a read through CEA's new solar resource will help!
If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague and invite them to subscribe.
MESSAGE FROM CEA - CEA and Climate Caucus examine the CleanBC Review
- EV Policy and Practice in Canada
- Upcoming meetings
RESOURCES - Solar & battery permitting guide
| | | | | | | | Megan's New Year Message
Welcome to 2026! It is a time to reflect on 2025 and focus-in on the opportunities 2026 will bring. I am incredibly proud of the progress the Community Energy Association made last year. We delivered on our core mission of supporting local governments, Indigenous communities and partner organizations to address climate and energy priorities. And we did so with a strengthened focus on activation, which is a theme we carry forward into 2026. Some highlights from the past year (that really only scrape the surface): We led 73 peer network meetings, bringing together nearly 3,300 local government and Indigenous community representatives across BC, Alberta, and the whole country. The network with the largest participation, NorthCAN, brought together 400 participants from both the public and private sectors. And over 25% of these participants reported leveraging their NorthCAN relationships toward securing funding and getting real-world projects off the ground. Retrofit Assist grew significantly, processing 500 applications from homeowners eager to upgrade their homes’ energy performance—almost double the number from 2024. Retrofit Assist’s discounted EnerGuide evaluations identified how to make the biggest improvements and our team of experts guided homeowners through the rebate process—helping participants receive $220,000 in rebates! The desire to learn and build capacity within the construction sector remains strong, and CEA was there to help activate capacity in smaller and rural markets (in the Kootenays and northern BC). We co-presented 26 online and in-person training sessions, with the #1 webinar highlighting new developments in heat pump technology. Fleet Forward is a new initiative filling an information gap for public and commercial fleets looking to electrify their medium and heavy-duty vehicles. Fleet Forward showcases welcomed 250 people across four BC regions. Participants got hands-on with working vehicles, learned from OEMs and case studies, and networked with peers. Thanks to NRCan, the Province of BC, and BC Hydro for supporting this initiative. Also in the innovation category, CEA delivered its first low-carbon resilience plan to a local government. This represents a new area of focus in response to the needs of local governments across Canada that must adapt to extreme weather while leading an energy transition and building thriving communities.
Clearly, there is a lot of momentum coming into 2026 and CEA is committed to continuing the impactful work that is well underway. We are grateful to our many community partners and the funders who have made this work possible. We will build on our successes while clarifying and strengthening our strategic direction. In fact, we recently completed a Reconciliation Assessment Report facilitated by Tatâga Inc., an Indigenous-led firm based in Calgary, and will be implementing these recommendations alongside a new strategic framework started in 2025. This coming year, you can count on CEA doubling down on impact-focused projects, enabling and activating community leadership, and deepening our strategic direction. I can’t wait to share our progress with you.
| | Megan Lohmann Chief Executive Officer
Community Energy Association | | | | | | | | | | | | Unlocking the Value of Carbon Credits for EV Charger Owners
As more organizations install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure—whether for their own fleets, employees, or the public—many are unaware of a powerful financial opportunity available to them: carbon credits.
Registration is now open for CEA’s free, informative webinar on Thursday Jan. 29, 2026 that demystifies how carbon credits work in Canada and how organizations can benefit from them.
We’ll explain how EV charging activity generates eligible credits, how those credits are quantified, and how they can be traded on compliance markets such as the BC Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the federal Clean Fuel Regulations.
| | | | | | | | CEA and Climate Caucus examine the CleanBC Review
What does the CleanBC Review mean for local governments? How will it affect community-led energy, affordability, and resilience initiatives? Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, CEA’s Lisa Mak and CaroleAnn Leishman will share what CEA has learned about community perspectives and priorities for CleanBC. Examining the Independent Review’s recommendations, they will show the implications for local governments and highlight the essential role communities play in advancing CleanBC’s success. This Climate Caucus meeting is facilitated by City of Courtenay councillor Will Cole-Hamilton and open to current and former local elected leaders. Join for free by simply emailing olivia@climatecaucus.ca or sign up online.
| | | | | | | | EV Policy and Practice in Canada
CEA’s Megan Lohmann will speak at an upcoming UBC panel discussion on the policy design, incentives and market conditions shaping electric vehicle uptake. She will share CEA’s experience implementing EV policies and infrastructure alongside communities and governments. UBC’s Werner Antweiler and Milind Kandlikar will also participate in the panel, Wednesday Jan. 28, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Please join us, either at UBC Vancouver or online via Zoom!
| | | | | | Upcoming meetings
Joint Retrofit Peer Network and E-mobility Deep Dive on MURB Electrification and EV Charging Jan. 20, 2026
Explore how electrical planning reports, opportunity assessments, and EV planning studies can support MURBs and stratas in moving from planning toward action - a timely topic as stratas with five or more strata lots will be required to obtain an EPR in some regions by the end of 2026.
Trajectory of Awesomeness™ with Gwen Bridge Jan. 21 & 28, Feb. 4 & 11, 2026
Through weekly two-hour virtual sessions, participants will gain foundational knowledge in Ethical Space, Indigenous worldviews, and law – all to support developing relationships with Indigenous communities. This learning aims to strengthen regional resilience alongside First Nations and support Emergency and Disaster Management Act engagement.
Step Code Peer Network Jan. 27, 2026
Featuring updates from the Province, including an overview of the proposed changes to the BC Building and the Step Code Metrics Research report, and discussion around energy efficiency and climate action and what's coming up in 2026
Northern BC Climate Action Network (NorthCAN) Jan. 27, 2026
Updates on Northern Health’s new climate and sustainability roadmap, regional climate planning in a rural and northern context, and info about an upcoming survey collecting northerners’ perspectives on climate, energy, the environment, and resiliency.
Electric Mobility Peer Network: Micromobility Jan. 29, 2026
Build a shared understanding of micromobility (including active and electric) solutions that can be applied in communities, collectively identify barriers to implementation, scope possible opportunities for collaboration, and learn alongside peers who have started to move forward.
Digital Permitting Peer Network Feb. 2–3, 2026
Separate sessions will be held for practitioners in the Interior/Southeast, South Coast, and North on Feb. 2 and 3, providing opportunities for participants to connect with peers, identify opportunities to collaborate, and develop applications for the Local Government Development Approvals Program (LGDAP).
| | | | | | | | | | New guide to help local governments improve solar permitting
With the growing popularity of solar panels and battery systems, local governments are working to ensure British Columbians enjoy safe, reliable and streamlined installations.
Well-designed building permit policies can make it easier for residents and businesses to install solar panels while prioritizing safety and reducing administrative barriers.
To help local governments align on what’s best for solar permitting, CEA has recently published the Solar & Battery Permitting Guide.
| | | | Help put the recommendations into practice CEA’s BC Solar Permitting Lab is inviting participants to test out and refine the recommendations. We are looking for a group including municipalities, utilities and industry to work together with CEA facilitating. It’s a chance to be part of testing and establishing best practices and regulatory frameworks in BC. To learn more and participate, please email Kathryn Trnavsky at ktrnavsky@communityenergy.ca and inquire about an upcoming info session.
| | | | Our Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
The Community Energy Association commits to the principles of Truth and Reconciliation. As an organization, we support the Calls to Action released by the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
and recognize the importance of the self determination of Indigenous Peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. | | Thank you for subscribing to the CEA Newsletter, our monthly update on local climate and energy initiatives connected to the Community Energy Association. No longer interested? You can easily unsubscribe or update your preferences | | | | | |
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