QUEST Canada Launches its Accelerating the Implementation of Renewable Energy in Indigenous Communities Project

Source: | · QUEST · | May 30, 2023

Today, QUEST Canada is excited to announce the launch of its Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy (AIRE) for Indigenous Communities project, in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan.

QUEST Canada’s AIRE for Indigenous Communities project is an innovative initiative that enables remote Indigenous communities to build local capacity to accelerate renewable energy projects, building a pathway to net-zero. 

The project leverages proven tools and services developed during QUEST Canada’s Accelerate the Implementation of Renewable Energy (AIRE) project, which partnered with participating communities from Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. The processes and tools established during the original AIRE project are now being adapted to better serve Indigenous communities.

AIRE for Indigenous Communities is a three-year project designed to help rural and remote Indigenous communities reach emission reduction targets by increasing capacity to plan and implement land-based renewable energy initiatives (namely solar, wind, biomass, and geo-thermal). The project will work with participating Indigenous communities to ensure they have the information and tools necessary to better assess and communicate renewable energy opportunities as well as adapt to advancements and changes in energy-related technologies and policy. To accomplish these objectives, QUEST Canada will develop a publicly available toolkit that rural and remote Indigenous communities and their stakeholders can reference to establish and deploy deeper collaborative planning processes for local renewable energy development.