Feds put $25.6 million into Alberta home energy investments

CALGARY, ALTA. – The Government of Canada is investing $25.6 million into new home energy investments for four Alberta municipalities.

The federal government will deliver the funds through the Community Efficiency Financing (CEF) initiative to implement new home energy retrofit financing programs.

The City of Calgary will receive $15 million, City of St. Albert will get just over $5 million, City of Lethbridge will receive $3.8 million and the Town of Canmore will get $1.6 million for their respective programs.

The CEF is offered via the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund (GMF). The fund will allow each municipality to establish a program and begin lending to homeowners, a federal government release said.

Homeowners can repay the cost of their home energy projects over time through a Clean Energy Improvement Programs (CEIP) charge added to their property tax bills. The CEIPs will be administered by Alberta Municipalities, the association representing urban municipalities in Alberta.

“By leveraging these existing models, CEF helps communities by providing capital to homeowners to make their homes more energy-efficient, while creating local jobs and keeping the economy moving. Since the launch of CEF in 2020, GMF has also invested in Clean Energy Improvement Programs in the cities of Edmonton and Leduc, and the towns of Devon and Rocky Mountain House,” the release stated.