The ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities Program is focused exclusively on providing Aboriginal and northern communities with funding support for clean energy projects. The overall objective of the ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities Program is to reduce or displace coal and diesel generation of electricity, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Major challenges for Aboriginal and northern communities include climate change impacts, the costs of energy and the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Even with comprehensive renewable energy and energy efficient policies and measures, there remains a need to address the high level of emissions in Aboriginal and northern communities.  This is particularly true for communities in cold, northern climates and the approximately 175 Aboriginal and northern communities that rely on diesel generators for their electricity.

Aboriginal and northern communities are developing clean energy projects. These projects include the development of hydroelectricity, wind turbines, solar energy, biomass and geothermal technology. A number of Aboriginal and northern communities have also committed to energy planning for the future so that their communities can continue to grow in sustainable, efficient ways.

The ecoENERGY for Aboriginal and Northern Communities Program provides funding to Aboriginal and northern communities for:

1. Renewable Energy Projects must implement renewable energy technologies for local energy generation and/or energy efficiency technologies for energy savings; and

2. Energy Projects Integrated with Community Buildings where an energy efficiency/renewable energy component is added to a new or existing (through a retrofit) community building.

For more information about this program and to view the funding guidelines and templates, visit the Clean Energy page on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s Web site.