Discussion/background information:

Canada has more reasons than ever to increase energy efficiency (i.e., use less energy to do the same amount of work, such as using more efficient lighting) and energy conservation (e.g., lowering a thermostat one or two degrees in winter).

Burning fossil fuels to produce energy – for transportation, to power industry, to generate electricity, and to heat buildings – was responsible for 81 per cent of Canada’s total GHG emissions in 2006. By boosting energy efficiency and conservation, we can significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, lessening the impacts of global warming.

Energy prices – most notably for gasoline and oil, but also for natural gas and coal – have risen considerably during the past few years, and are likely to continue to increase. The cost of electricity is also increasing in many parts of Canada. The impacts of higher prices over the medium to long term have been compounded by severe and unpredictable short-term fluctuations in price that make budgeting for energy costs extremely difficult, both for business and for individual households. By reducing our total need for energy, we can save significant amounts of money for ourselves and our families. And by spending less on energy, Canadian business and industry can gain an important competitive advantage in the marketplace, strengthening our economy. Within the energy sector, consuming less of the energy we produce gives the option to sell more abroad, or save more of our valuable non-renewable resources to pass on to our own children.

Best of all, many energy-efficiency and conservation measures are much cheaper than the alternative of producing more energy to meet our demands, and result in little or no negative environmental impact. For instance, a recent study for BC Hydro found that energy-efficiency measures could save enough electricity to power 750,000 B.C. houses per year at less than half the cost of building new electricity generation.

Question to ask your candidate:
What measures will you put in place to require or encourage conservation and efficiency?

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