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Edmonton’s Blatchford district energy system receives $23.7M to expand decarbonization

August 7, 2024 – The district energy system in the City of Edmonton’s Blatchford neighbourhood is getting a $23.7-million funding boost from Ottawa to help add 13.1 MW of heating and 12.3 MW of cooling capacity to the existing district energy sharing system (DESS).

The DESS expansion project will help accommodate development and growth within the community, says Natural Resources Canada. The total project value is $79.2 million, with the remainder being provided by the City of Edmonton.

Blatchford is a carbon-neutral community being developed on the site of the decommissioned City Centre Airport in Edmonton. The project includes installing an additional heat pump to increase heating and cooling capacity, extending the neighbourhood’s distribution piping network, and designing and building a new sewer heat exchange energy centre.

“Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadians across the country,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “The Blatchford district energy project is a great example of an initiative to save people money on home energy bills while seizing the economic opportunities of a clean and sustainable economy.”

The project, NRCan continues, will improve the efficiency and reliability of Blatchford’s electricity supply. It will also reduce impacts on peak electricity demand and cut GHG emissions.

This project is funded through the Government of Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways (SREP) program, which supports grid modernization, energy storage and renewables.

In addition to SREP funding, Blatchford’s DESS is also receiving support through the Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund which, through rebates, encourages the integration of DESS infrastructure into buildings.