Bruce Power is partnering up with Westario Power to focus on carbon offset initiatives and achieve net zero.
Westario Power is an electric distribution company based in Walkerton.
A release notes, the two companies signed an agreement, which could see dividends paid for the residents of Grey, Bruce and Huron counties, with the goal of potentially incentivizing the adoption of electric vehicles in the region.
Bruce Power Director of Corporate Communications John Peevers says they are taking a look at the vehicles as part of the initiative as well as recognize the EV charging infrastructure needs to improve and accelerate.
“There is some upfront expense for sure, the payoff is obviously really good as well, and that is what we are looking at,” says Peevers. “Charging infrastructure for home can be expensive, so that is one of the areas we are looking at, is coming up with some incentives for residents to install home charging for electric vehicles, which might get people to make that decision to go the electric vehicle route.”
Peevers elaborated by noting they will be looking at ways to make installing EV charging stations at home more affordable.
While still in the early stages of planning and identifying projects, Peevers notes these projects will assist Canada in reaching its 2050 net zero target, a means of balancing the removal and generation of carbon emissions.
Bruce Power also set its own goal of achieving net zero on their site by 2027, which Peevers says is pretty aggressive but believes they are able to achieve this goal, with electric vehicles playing a large part in this objective.
Bruce Power also announced earlier this year a program which will provide funding for grassroots net zero initiatives to remove and offset carbon emissions, in which Peevers says, the sky is the limit for options.
“We are focused on working with all kinds of community organizations and looking for people to come forward with ideas to help offset carbon emissions, whether it is tree planting or we have had some really good discussions with the agriculture sector, it is a very innovative sector and looking to see what kind of ideas they might come up with,” says Peevers.
