The Atlantic Energy Gateway

• The Atlantic Energy Gateway initiative is an opportunity to promote and facilitate the development of clean and renewable energy sources in Atlantic Canada. The initiative will complement all current and future energy plans and resources being undertaken in the region.
• The initiative seeks to bring together the federal and provincial governments, the private and public utilities, the private sector, and other energy stakeholders across Atlantic Canada to develop a regional strategy for the development of clean and renewable energy projects.
• The initiative will help to reduce CO2 emissions in Atlantic Canada and help Canada reach its greenhouse gas emission targets.
• The Atlantic Energy Gateway complements the Government of Canada's climate change strategy called Turning the Corner. This ambitious plan sets out a course to achieve an absolute reduction of 20 percent in Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and having 90 percent of Canada's electricity derived from non-emitting sources by 2020.
• There is a potential for Atlantic Canada to reap significant economic development benefits from the development and export of clean and renewable energy. For example, total demand in Northeastern US is now 31,000 MW and is expected to increase by 20% - 25% by 2020.
• The initiative will foster the development of new, home-grown research and development (R&D) and innovative technologies related to the clean and renewable energy sector.
• The clean and renewable energy sector could lead to significant job creation in fields such as: engineering, manufacturing, construction, R&D, training and professional services.

Atlantic Energy Gateway Advisory Committee

The Atlantic Energy Gateway Advisory Committee will be composed of officials from ACOA, NRCan and each of the four Atlantic Provinces. In conjunction with the announcement of this initiative, Minister MacKay will write each of the Atlantic Premiers inviting them to designate a senior official to participate in this committee.

• While the committee will be comprised of government representatives, the active engagement of the region's utilities and companies within the renewable energy sector will be critical to the Committee's work. The specific details of how this engagement will take place will be determined collaboratively by the members of the Energy Gateway Committee.
• The Energy Gateway committee will be responsible for finalizing a scope of work and establishing the terms of reference to help move the Atlantic Energy Gateway forward. This initiative will fund a series of studies and analyses undertaken in cooperation with the Provinces and regional utilities in the following areas:
• Assessment of evolving domestic and US markets for clean and renewable energy generated in Atlantic Canada, with special emphasis on the US Northeast market.
• Survey of international best practices for regulation and development of wind, tidal and other forms of renewable energy.
• Development of an inventory of existing, proposed and potential clean and renewable energy projects across the region.
• Major impediments to expeditious growth of the sector, including:
  • regional and international infrastructure capacity and accessibility;
  • R&D and technology transfer/adaptation issues related to sectoral development; and
  • Project financing and access to capital.
• In each of these areas, the work would seek to compile existing information from the provinces and utilities, identify gaps, and undertake new work where required.
• The timeframe for completion of the committee's work will be 12 to 18 months.
• Members of the advisory committee will meet once the officials have been named. The committee will meet on a regular basis and report its findings to the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, and the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources.

Atlantic Energy Summit

• Minister MacKay will host an upcoming Atlantic Energy Summit.
• The summit will focus on clean and renewable energy issues in Atlantic Canada and on the industry's growing potential as a supplier of clean and renewable energy within North America.
• Summit participants could include Atlantic premiers and their respective Energy Ministers; private and public utilities representatives; federal and provincial government officials; private sector and industry leaders (e.g. industry operators and suppliers; industry associations); as well as energy researchers and academics.
• More details about the summit will be made public in the near future.