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Summer is fading and autumn is busy! Read on for lots of upcoming events: an award ceremony, showcases of zero-emission fleet vehicles, network meetings, training on high-performance homebuilding, and more. And learn about some great community solar projects and how CEA has been contributing to government policy reviews.
If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague and invite them to subscribe.
Events - Fleet forward: upcoming showcases around BC
- “The envelope please…” – who will win Climate & Energy Action awards?
- Coast to coast: CEAers participate in upcoming conferences
- Upcoming training on high-performance homebuilding
- Peer networks
CEA News
- Here comes the sun: community solar projects
- Supporting Government policy reviews
| | | | | | | | | | Fleet Forward: Zero-Emission Fleet Vehicle Showcases
Fleet operators around BC are invited to check out medium- and heavy-duty zero emission vehicles and hear from industry leaders, utilities, and early adopters who are starting to transition to lower-emission fuels.
CEA is hosting four Fleet Forward showcases in Victoria, Burnaby, Prince George and Kamloops this September and October.
The events were shaped by input from local government and fleet operators from across BC who took part in interviews and workshops last year about the transition to zero-emission fleet vehicles. Their feedback indicated that fleet owners need opportunities to experience vehicles in person, connect with peers and early adopters, and access external funding support. All will be included in the Fleet Forward showcases.
Get the details on each free showcase and register
📅 Victoria: Thursday, Sep. 18, 2025
📅 Burnaby: Thursday, Sep. 25, 2025
📅 Prince George: Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025
📅 Kamloops: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025
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The envelope please…
What will be the projects and communities selected among the record number of nominations for 2025 Climate & Energy Action Awards? Join us Wednesday, September 24 at the Union of BC Municipalities convention to find out. The ceremony will begin at 4:15pm – check the UBCM program for the details.
Information on all 29 nominations was presented in last month’s CEA newsletter, which is now also available on the CEA website.
| | | | | | Thanks to our sponsors: BC Hydro, FortisBC, the Province of British Columbia, Real Estate Foundation of BC, Vancity, and UBCM. | | | | From Coast to Coast
CEAers are participating in a variety of conferences and events this fall, sharing information on various aspects of community-based climate action.
| | | | Everything Electric (Vancouver)
CEA staff Lisa Mak and Carly Johansson (photographed above) took to the stage in early September at the Everything Electric showcase in Vancouver.
Lisa participated in two panels: one on access to clean energy for renters and those who live in strata developments, and another highlighting the link between clean energy and local jobs, with Lisa highlighting examples from communities around BC.
Carly spoke about the adoption of electric vehicles and how Canada’s size and diversity means that real progress must happen locally and regionally, by empowering communities, supporting their leadership, and building on local successes.
Vancouver will also be hosting Electric Mobility Canada’s annual conference in early October, and CEA’s CEO Megan Lohmann, who also vice-chair of EMC, will be moderating a panel on how electric mobility can help foster improved health and equity.
| | Tackling Mis/Disinformation (Ottawa)
Aligning community values with local climate action will be the theme of Megan’s remarks at a Summit on Climate Mis/Disinformation that will be hosted by the University of Ottawa’s Information Integrity Lab later this month. Megan will participate in a panel on policy, accountability, and resilience and speak to CEA’s experience with a national project aimed at scaling up municipal climate action.
| | Livable Cities (Halifax)
Regional networks and collaboration will be the highlight of CEA’s participation at ICLEI Canada’s Livable Cities Forum in Halifax in early October. Ruth Midgley will be participating in a workshop on regional collaboration among coastal communities and Rob van Adrichem will share the origin story and ongoing work of the Northern BC Climate Action Network (NorthCAN).
| | | | | | In-Person training on building high-performance homes
Building professionals need additional tools to tackle the challenge of making all existing and new homes more energy-efficient. In support, CEA is hosting a series of in-person workshops on Integrated Design Planning, an approach which brings multiple contractors together early in the construction process to increase efficiency and improve the final product.
This training will be beneficial to building officials as well as builders, contractors and Energy Advisors.
From Plans to Performance: Integrated Design for High-Performance Homes
Sep. 18, 2025 in Prince George Oct. 23, 2025 in Terrace Oct. 28, 2025 in Castlegar Oct. 30, 2025 in Kimberley Nov. 7, 2025 in Williams Lake
Select the dates above to register. For a limited time, a 2 for 1 deal is available.
| | | | Upcoming Peer Network meet-ups
CEA facilitates peer networks on a variety of topics and in a variety of regions. Upcoming meetings include:
Electric Mobility Peer Network Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2025
Alberta Climate Leaders Staff Peer Network Thursday, Sep. 18, 2025
Step Code Peer Network Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025
Building Officials Peer Network Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025
Embodied Emissions Peer Network Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025
Learn more about the peer networks and to sign up.
| | | | | | | | | | Here Comes the Sun: Showcasing Community Solar Projects
Every community – large and small – that is exploring local applications of solar now has some new resources after CEA produced a series of case studies of leading examples in northeastern BC.
The projects in the Saulteau First Nations (photographed above), Hudson’s Hope, Fort St. John, and Mackenzie feature solar installations on homes, civic facilities, and local non-profits. Each of them demonstrates how solar provides reliable and low-cost electricity in small towns that are in cold climate zones, frees up funding for local services, and brings multiple other benefits to communities such as additional local jobs, external funding for critical infrastructure upgrades, and community pride.
The projects were each showcased in a tour that CEA organized in June for community officials; many of them were so inspired and impressed with the leadership of these small communities that they are continuing to work together on implementing solar projects in their communities.
Check out the CEA website for more info about the Northeast Solar Tour and how the showcased projects could inform other solar installations in small communities.
| | | | | | | | Supporting Government Policy
CEA’s relationships with communities large and small have enabled community voices across BC to be part of recent reviews of government policy and priorities.
The Province of BC’s review of CleanBC prompted submissions from the Northern BC Climate Action Network (NorthCAN) as well as from working groups representing CEA’s peer networks. In 2024 alone, peer networks brought together nearly 1200 people from 124 local governments and 16 Indigenous communities. Links to the CleanBC submissions are available on our website.
CEA also recently gathered feedback from the Electric Mobility Peer Network (EMPN) and provided it to the Province for its Zero-Emission Vehicle Act and Regulation review. The submission indicated strong support among local government staff engaged through the EMPN for maintaining and strengthening the ZEV Act.
| | | | 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 Commision 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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