Regional Energy Planning

Regional Energy Plan Reports:

Executive Summary — Read the Executive Summary of the Regional Energy Plan, which calls for an increase in community-wide energy efficiency of at least 50 per cent by 2041 over 2019 levels and a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 60 per cent by 2041 over 2019 levels. 

Regional Energy Plan Report #4: Summary and Implementation Strategy —  This report describes the Community Task Force's recommended 2041 Strategy and 5-Year Implementation Plan for Essex County. 

Regional Energy Plan Report #3: Recommendations — This report features the recommendations by the Project Working Team to achieve the energy efficiencies and emissions reductions outlined in Report #2. It makes recommendations focused on seven strategic themes: Efficient homes and buildings; efficient industry; efficient greenhouses; efficient transportation; local supply and distribution; smart community information and optimization; community planning. 

Regional Energy Plan Report #2: Analytical Summary — This report summarizes the baseline findings for source energy, emissions, and cost in 2019. It examines where the County of Essex will be without action by 2041 and where it could be if actions outlined in three difference simulations are taken. The simulations were developed to test their ability to meet goals including a 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Regional Energy Plan Report #1: Rationale and Scope — This report provides the rationale and context behind the development of the Regional Energy Plan for the County of Essex including climate change, the energy transition and rural sustainability. 

Survey Results

The majority of respondents to our initial Regional Energy Plan survey believe we should be doing more to address energy use and climate change and nearly all of them believed that taking local action on energy use and climate change was of high importance. Read the full report on the survey results!

Background:

Since 60% of energy consumption and over half of all GHGs in Canada are influenced by communities – for instance, the transportation of people, goods, and services, the powering of local industry and the heating, cooling and lighting of homes and buildings – all levels of government are enabling local action on climate change.

In response, more than 400 Canadian communities have developed community energy plans to establish local priorities for reducing energy use and energy-related emissions. The Regional Energy Plan will support the County of

The County of Essex and its member municipalities take a leadership role in reducing GHG emissions that arise within its geographic boundary from energy use.

What the Data Tells Us:

Considerable data and information were gathered to support the analytical process and the development of goals, strategic objectives, targets, priority projects and milestones. All data pertains to activities occurring within the municipal boundary of Essex County.

In 2019, Essex County’s total source and site energy use were 52 terajoules (TJ) and 43 TJ, respectively. Due to its size and importance in the local economy, the greenhouse sector consumed 38% of total source energy. The industrial sector, including greenhouses, consumed half of Essex County’s total source energy use. Transportation consumed almost one fifth of total source energy while the residential sector consumed almost a quarter of total source energy. System losses (which include conversion losses which occur when energy is transformed from one form to another, as well as transmission losses) accounted for approximately 21% of source energy use in 2019.

In 2019, Essex County emissions were 2,212,000 metric tons (MT), or 11.5 MT for every resident. This is equivalent to 285 trillion smart phones charged or 5.5 trillion miles driven by an average passenger vehicle. The greenhouse sector makes the largest contribution to emissions (41%) followed by transportation (29%). These two sectors combined contribute more than two-thirds of emissions. The residential sector contributes 15%.

In 2019, the Essex County community spent $820 million ($4,300 per resident) on energy and water on all transportation, residential, commercial, and institutional activities. Most of the energy dollars leave the community – while some of the money spent on energy benefits local utilities, local energy dollars also go to Western Canada (oil, natural gas) and elsewhere in Ontario (centralized electricity generation). Transportation accounts for 40% of costs. The residential sector and the greenhouse sector account for 27% and 15% of costs, respectively.

How Do We Compare?

Essex County’s baseline data was compared with several comparable provincial, national, and global benchmarks to understand the opportunity to deliver community benefits. The following observations can be made:

• on average, homes and buildings in Essex County are approximately half as efficient as global benchmarks 
• energy use per home is higher than the national and provincial average
• energy use in the residential sector per square metre (m2) is the same as the national average but more than twice global best practice
• emissions per capita were higher than national and provincial averages  
• per capita emissions are 5 times global best practice (3 times global best practice if the contribution of the greenhouse sector is removed) and about 8 times the Government of Canada target for 2050 based on the Paris Climate Agreement.

What Happens if We Do Nothing?

By 2041, population and employment growth are estimated to increase throughout the region.

Despite this growth, GHG emissions are expected to remain relatively constant (approximately a 3% increase) by 2041 due to a projected increase in vehicle efficiency and reduction in the carbon intensity of the natural gas grid.

Utility costs are estimated to increase 125% to 300% by 2041. These increases reflect both higher prices and population and employment growth. The range in estimated costs reflects a low and high scenario for future energy costs.

What’s Next? How Might Essex County Change its Energy Future? 

The next step is to consider different combinations of the following integrated energy-related measures for all sectors and energy uses, distribution, conversion, and fuels: