After a year of operational upheaval and more modifications to electricity pricing policies, BOMA Toronto’s annual workshop to address the complexities of the global adjustment had a lot of ground to cover.

Suburban office and corporate headquarters capture the limelight in the newly announced 2021 ENERGY STAR Canada awards for existing commercial and institutional buildings.

Public agencies, not-for-profit organizations and private sector energy services providers are all expected to play a role in developing the workforce that will underpin Canada’s promised home retrofit program.

A draft regulation posted in the Gazette du Québec signals the government's intent to prohibit installation of fossil-fuel-fired boilers, furnaces and water heaters in “certain existing residential buildings” after December 31, 2023.

Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services is launching an energy consulting team to work with First Nations, Inuit and Métis property managers and tenants in off-reserve dwellings.

The Canadian government expects to spend nearly $93 million to offset energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in its own portfolio, but $77.9 million of that is slated for unspecified “future years”.

The 2021 federal budget adds some clean energy equipment to immediately qualify for accelerated capital cost allowance, and names various combined heat and power applications to be delisted after 2023.

It appears that seven weeks of COVID-19-related electricity rate relief for residential and small business customers did not adversely undermine Ontario power system revenue.

There has been no rate relief with the latest stay-at-home imperative, but the Ontario Energy Board has extended the annual prohibition on electricity shut-offs during the cold months to cover much of May.

Two distinct, but complementary new federal programs promise funds for community buildings. Both are focused on meeting GHG reduction targets and are aligned with a pledge to invest $15 billion to address climate change and boost the green economy.

It’s actually too late for Saskatchewan’s ice rink operators to apply for the funding outlined in the 2021-22 provincial budget earlier this week, but they could still qualify for electricity rate relief this spring and summer.

The 2021-22 Saskatchewan budget also commits more than $937 million to upgrade the provincial electricity system and nearly $175 million to underwrite an electricity rebate for SaskPower customers.

Commercial electricity customers will get more presence among Ontario consumer groups when two new appointees join the Independent Electricity System Operator’s stakeholder advisory committee this spring.

Funds are drawn from the carbon pricing proceeds the federal government collects and redistributes in provinces that have not enacted their own carbon pricing programs.

After 2022, companies must use their own funds to reimburse embedded energy managers, but will be offered “an enhanced level of technical support and resources.” It's a move some see as more short-sighted.

The winning effort will be incorporated into a planned year of active messaging on the theme that energy efficiency is the foremost step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 110 industry associations, building service/product providers and public advocacy and community development groups are voicing support for no-cost incentives targeted specifically to low-income households.