Alberta government to spend $44 million on helping small businesses reduce emissions

The Alberta government said it will be providing $44 million to 21 small and medium businesses to assist them with scaling up, piloting, and demonstrating innovative emissions reduction technologies. With the grants, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said the provincial government is “tapping into that entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of Albertans to advance new technologies that will create jobs, reduce emissions, and grow the economy.” “These projects touch all corners of our economy, which I think is pretty exciting,” said Schulz at a Friday press conference. Eligible projects include areas such as power generation, agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, construction, and electricity. This includes funding for an artificial intelligence-powered lighting system that will grow plants more efficiently and reduce energy costs; a new geothermal project with potential to power homes; and transformations to turn a testing facility into a commercial operation to harness biomass. She said Alberta has shown it can lead the way on emissions reduction, environmental stewardship and responsible resource development without compromising the economy, jobs and affordability. Meanwhile, she accused the Canadian government and Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault of choosing ideology, taxes, and punitive policies over emissions reduction technologies, common sense, jobs, the economy, affordability and energy security.In contrast to the Canadian government and Guilbeault, Schulz pledged to make Alberta the global jurisdiction of choice for emissions reduction technologies and energy demand. That is why continuing work on these projects is vital. “This is what real leadership looks like,” she said. Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) CEO Justin Riemer said small and medium businesses make up the largest percentage of companies in Alberta. “They form a critical part of the economic infrastructure that continue to shape Alberta now and into the future,” said Riemer. “And they are incredible sources of game-changing ideas that we need to reduce emissions and demonstrate clean technology solutions that are an increasingly important element of our economy.” SixRing Inc. President Scott Treadwell said the grant it received will help it deliver on commercializing its technology in multiple ways. “First, it reduces our required equity for our facility and improves economic returns,” said Treadwell. “It also signals to investors critically that an independent third party has vetted both our technology and our business plan and is satisfied that an investment in SixRing is a prudent point.” Its facility in Lethbridge County will process non-food biomass to produce high-value chemicals, materials, and fuels to offer sustainable, low-carbon alternatives. Schulz followed up by saying the monies come from the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Fund, which comes from the industrial carbon tax. “There are a number of ways that we reinvest those dollars back into emissions reduction and technology and innovation here in Alberta,” she said. The Alberta government said on July 3 it would be spending $15 million to test new technologies to try to reduce methane emissions at home and abroad. READ MORE: Alberta government to spend $15 million on methane emissions reduction technologies“We are a global leader in reducing methane emissions, and Alberta technologies are being used around the world,” said Schulz.

Alberta government to spend $44 million on helping small businesses reduce emissions

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