Regina city council approves long-awaited energy and sustainability framework

After first establishing a goal to become a net-zero city by 2050 back in 2018, the City of Regina has now passed an energy and sustainability framework which is meant to guide future city decisions. 

There are seven key areas in the framework:

• Retrofitting existing buildings.
• Clean heating.
• Net-zero in new construction.
• Renewable energy generation.
• Low-emissions vehicles.
• Increase active transportation and transit use.
• Clean and re-energize industry.

Several delegates addressed council Wednesday evening, all in favour of passing the framework.

But costs will fall to citizens, something that even ardent supporters wondered about.

Regina resident Gail Fennel spoke to council Wednesday. She said she is absolutely willing to pay what she can, but doesn't want to be bankrupt in the process.

"I am one of the currently housed who is one financial crisis away from being homeless," her submission in the council agenda reads. She read out her submission to council.

"That financial crisis could be as simple as having to pay back replacing a lead water line and retrofitting my house for reduced energy use all at the same time. I do not want pity nor handouts. I do want a levelled playing field that finances the transition and does not rely on large amounts of personal equity to stay housed."

Coun. Andrew Stevens said equity is at the centre of the plan.

"It also gives us the opportunity to work with SaskPower and SaskEnergy and actually saying, you know what, if you need a new heating system in your home and you're lower income, that's something that the city, the Crowns, and hopefully other levels of government will bankroll," he told reporters after the council meeting.

The actions that could come from the plan could change how people live, how they get around, how they power their homes, the jobs they have, among other things.

"Better free transit, better transit that could compete with the automobile, etcetera. That's significant. Again, it comes back to just normalizing what we're talking about. So, we're going to need incentives but we're also going to need support for people," Stevens said.

The plan is expected to help reduce Regina's emissions by 52 per cent and cut energy by 24 per cent by 2030.

The city also projects that the actions in the framework could result in $12.5 billion in financial returns by 2050, as well as an average net growth of more than 4,000 jobs per year.

With an estimated cost of $11.5 billion, implementing the framework will be costly, but necessary. 

When asked if she thought the framework would be a defining moment in her mayoral career, Sandra Masters said she'll celebrate harder when concrete actions are taken.

"I think that the real moments will come when we have proven a change through, when we have introduced the programs, when we have reduced energy emissions, when we have actually adopted or invested in new technology ... I think that's where the magic is," she told reporters Wednesday.

"With all due respect, a report is a report until it's not a report anymore."