Saint John Energy is advancing a new era of green energy in New Brunswick with its newest offering: Renewable Energy Certificates. Known as RECs, the internationally recognized certificates help energy buyers achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by certifying that they are buying electricity from a renewable source.
With the Burchill Wind Project, Saint John Energy will have enough green electricity to offer up to 150,000 RECs a year.
That will allow both Saint John Energy and the City of Saint John to certify all their corporate electricity supply as being from renewable energy while still leaving an abundant supply for others in the city looking for green electricity.
Earlier this year, the utility issued a public request for proposals seeking local organizations that would be interested in purchasing RECs to correspond with the electricity that Saint John Energy supplies to them.
As a result of that call for proposals, two companies expressed an interest and will now be the first to purchase RECs from Saint John Energy - Port Saint John and Irving Oil. This will allow both to have a certified renewable electricity supply from Saint John Energy once Burchill comes online.
Burchill, a 42-megawatt wind farm being built by Natural Forces in Lorneville, is set to be operational by the end of 2022, supplying enough renewable energy to power about 15 per cent of Saint John. That's two and a half times the renewable energy target of six per cent the utility was challenged to provide under the City of Saint John's Community Energy Plan by 2025.
Under its agreement with Natural Forces, Saint John Energy will receive all the energy produced from Burchill for at least 25 years as well as the RECs associated with the electricity the wind farm generates.
The utility expects this initial offering will attract further interest from local businesses looking to support both the environment and the development of renewable energy by purchasing RECs. And it intends to explore later this year what interest there could be among homeowners in certifying their electricity as renewable.
More information on Saint John Energy's RECs is available on the web at https://sj.energy/RECs
QUOTES:
"We're delighted to be able to harness the Burchill wind farm to support Saint John's transition toward net zero. Helping the community transition confidently to a clean energy future helps not only Saint John but the province as a whole. There is a tremendous demand for Renewable Energy Certificates, and we're excited to be able to offer this option to those in our community who are looking for the assurance that they are powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity."
- Saint John Energy President and CEO Ryan Mitchell
"We are proud to work with a hometown partner like Saint John Energy to power our Saint John operations with 100 per cent locally produced green energy. We understand the importance of clean, sustainable power and are pleased to be able to harness green energy for our operations in the city."
- Ian Whitcomb, President of Irving Oil
"This is a proud moment for the City of Saint John, as we take the next big step to achieve our ambitious Climate Change Action Plan goals and remain a benchmark for municipalities across Canada. As the world evolves to a low carbon economy, sustainability through innovation is a must have for our organization and community. I would like to congratulate Saint John Energy, our City team, and community partners for their efforts in reaching this milestone."
- Mayor Donna Reardon, City of Saint John
"We are on a larger decarbonization journey, with an internal working group focused on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. These RECs are an amazing first step for us but we are committed to further reducing our energy footprint in the near future when it comes to our facilities and fleets."
- Craig Bell Estabrooks, President and CEO at Port Saint John
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jessica DeLong, Manager of Stakeholder Relations, Saint John Energy
jessica.delong@sjenergy.com 506.647.0365
Erin White, Communications Manager, City of Saint John
erin.white@saintjohn.ca 506.639.1380
Katherine d'Entremont, Corporate Communications Specialist, Irving Oil
katherine.dentremont@irvingoil.com 506.654.7162
Paula Copeland, Vice President, Engagement & Sustainability, Port Saint John
pcopeland@sjport.com 506.650.5288
