Investment in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will help create jobs and reduce future energy costs for consumers
FREDERICTON, NB AND AMHERST, NS, Jan. 24, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada's economy is strong and growing, creating good jobs for the middle class and the people working hard to join it. At the same time, there is an opportunity to encourage businesses to make investments that will position them for long-term growth.
Today the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Member of Parliament for Fredericton, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced an investment of up to $35.66 million in a partnership between Siemens Canada—a leading electronics and electrical engineering firm—New Brunswick Power and Nova Scotia Power.
The funding will help create and maintain up to 241 highly skilled jobs in Atlantic Canada and support the partners' $92.7-million project. Under this project, Siemens will research and develop smart grid technology to help better manage the provinces' electricity and will build Canadian expertise that could improve the sustainability and efficiency of power grids around the world. This project will help improve power delivery to underserved communities, better integrate renewable energy into the power grid and reduce future electricity costs for consumers.
Thanks in part to this investment, Canadians will benefit from increased collaboration among the partners and post-secondary students, greater gender diversity in the workforce, more intellectual property produced in Canada, and more engagement with local Indigenous communities in the clean energy sector.
As part of the Innovation and Skills Plan, this investment supports the Clean Technology Economic Strategy Table's aim to develop domestic markets for clean technologies. This investment also supports the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, as well as Canada's commitments to Mission Innovation, a global initiative of 23 countries and the European Union to dramatically accelerate global clean energy innovation.
This project is funded through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a program designed to attract and support high-quality business investments in Canada's most dynamic and innovative sectors.
Quotes
"Our government is bringing cheaper energy and a more reliable power grid to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Our strategic investment in Siemens' project will help create new middle-class jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cement our place as a world leader in clean technologies."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
"Our government's investment in clean technologies like the Siemens' project means more benefits for families in Atlantic Canada. This project is creating new well-paying jobs, helping Maritimers save money on their future energy bills and protecting our environment."
– The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development
"This new partnership in Atlantic Canada will bring many exciting benefits to families in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Siemens' innovative project will mean new well-paying jobs, a cleaner environment and lower energy costs for hard-working Maritimers."
– Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Member of Parliament for Fredericton
"This partnership will be truly ground-breaking. Together with NB Power and Nova Scotia Power, we will develop and implement a powerful cloud-based Energy System Platform [ESP], allowing everyone to participate in the energy market. The ESP will enable data analytics, ensure connectivity, provide tools for developers to create customer-focused applications and services, and use peer-to-peer technology to enable secure energy trading. The platform will also optimize the overall electrical grid and reduce the cost of transitioning to a greener future not only in Canada but also throughout the globe."
– Faisal Kazi, President and CEO, Siemens Canada
"Our goal is to gradually eliminate the remaining 20 to 25% of our generation that is carbon producing while ensuring we protect our customers from the significant rate increases that have resulted from this transition elsewhere. The only way to have a fully renewable future is with smart grid technologies that ease the acceptance of small-scale renewables onto the grid. With this new federal investment, we'll be able to accelerate our pilot projects and testing to ensure that customers get a greener New Brunswick grid without the disruptions we're seeing in other parts of the world."
– Gaëtan Thomas, President and CEO, New Brunswick Power
"Our customers count on us for reliable, affordable and clean energy. As we continue to lead Canada in reducing carbon emissions, we need innovative solutions to add new energy sources to our grid. Contingent on approval by our regulator, investing in the Amherst Smartgrid Project will help us learn how to best incorporate new technologies to serve our customers, while showcasing Amherst as a progressive, smart-energy community."
– Karen Hutt, President and CEO, Nova Scotia Power
Quick facts
- Siemens Canada is headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, and employs nearly 3,000 employees across Canada. In 2012, Siemens established two new global centres, including a Smart Grid Research and Development Centre that designs software products for the global market to support utilities' transition to a digital grid.
- New Brunswick Power is responsible for electricity generation and distribution for more than 400,000 customers in New Brunswick.
- Nova Scotia Power is responsible for electricity generation and distribution for more than 500,000 customers in Nova Scotia.
- Siemens Canada is one of hundreds of companies the Clean Growth Hub has worked with to advance clean technology projects in Canada. The Hub's team of experts from across government helps companies and researchers pursuing clean technology projects identify the federal programs and supports most relevant to their needs.
- In addition to the Strategic Innovation Fund, there are hundreds of programs and services to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada's economy. With its simple, story-based user interface, the Innovation Canada platform can match businesses with the most fitting programs and services in about two minutes.
Associated links
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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Dani Keenan, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 343-291-1710; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]
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