ReNew Canada
Summary
Across Canada, communities are navigating a rapidly shifting energy landscape. Rising energy costs, extreme weather and aging infrastructure are putting new pressure on municipal budgets and essential services. What once were predictable operating environments have become increasingly uncertain, pushing municipalities to find solutions that provide stability, affordability and long-term resilience.
While these challenges are significant, they are also sparking a wave of innovation at the local level. Municipalities are uniquely positioned to lead Canada’s energy transition because they understand their communities’ needs, assets and risks. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is helping them turn that local knowledge into action—providing the resources, expertise and funding communities need to build stronger, cleaner and more self-sufficient energy systems.
Across the country, GMF-funded energy system projects show what this shift looks like in practice.
- In rural Nova Scotia, the County of Kings is exploring community-scale solar to enhance energy reliability through the Meadowview Solar Feasibility Study.
- In the National Capital Region, the Zibi waste-heat recovery system is transforming excess industrial heat into a clean energy source for an entire waterfront community—an award-winning example of circular energy in action. To date, this project has resulted in approximately $27.5M worth of short-term construction jobs and five full-time permanent positions.
- In Markham, a geo-exchange energy network is delivering efficient, low-carbon heating and cooling to major buildings while reducing emissions and an 82% input energy reduction for space heating and cooling.
- In North Vancouver, local decentralized district-energy plants are helping municipalities generate local heat and power through a combination of renewables, heat recovery from gas-fired boilers and combined heat and power systems.
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