Bow Valley Green Energy Coop Leads the Transition
Banff Canmore Community Foundation | January 24, 2022
Momentum is strong for the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative (BVGEC) these days. With a team of smart and dedicated volunteers who are taking good ideas and turning them into action, the Coop is building on great progress in 2021 with big plans for 2022.
2021 saw a lot of activity – from myth-busting communications and turning the switch on the Coop’s first-ever power production to significant funds raised and more projects coming in, BVGEC’s Chair Jeff Roberts says the team is proud of all they’ve accomplished and excited for what is to come.
BUSTING MYTHS
BVGEC’s relationship with Banff Canmore Community Foundation (BCCF) goes back to 2020 when a $8,000 grant helped the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley with legal fees and startup funds to get the project rolling.
A second grant from BCCF in 2021 kicked off a series of communications within the local community addressing some common myths around solar power – that it won’t work in the valley or that it’s too expensive, for example. By enriching public understanding, the Coop believe the Bow Valley’s carbon footprint can be reduced.
The Coop’s Jodi Conuel lead the development and distribution of easy-to-access information including a website and ads in newspapers, on the radio and on social media that helped dispel confusion about the environmental, social and economic benefits of renewable energy. The project also includes an outdoor location at a still-to-be-determined location that will also have a art installation and interpretive signage.
“That grant kick-started our work as a cooperative,” Roberts say. “And helped us clear up lots of misconceptions.”
Some people mistakenly think the energy transition won’t happen without government subsidies, he says. So while the Coop does rely on grants like the ones from BCCF for certain projects, the Coop aims to show it can “make its own way financially” and demonstrate that the energy transition has a place in society that doesn’t require subsidies. The point is to drive change through individual and collective choice and through financial success.
“Our intent is not to make money on this – it’s to make enough money to continue to roll it back into education and projects,” Roberts says. “We are showing that this can work.”
PROJECTS TO DATE
The new – and first-ever – community-owned renewable energy installation at Canmore’s Ralph Connor Memorial United Church started in September and has been a game-changer for both the church and the Coop. Roberts says it’s now forecast to generate over 11,000kW of solar energy annually, with a carbon offset of 7.4 tonnes of CO2 per year and setting the bar for projects to come.
New potential hosts and partners from across the Bow Valley and elsewhere in Alberta have come knocking at the Coop, looking for ways to “go green”. The Coop is specifically looking to work with social entities with stabilized ownership, like churches. “These are entities that are generally social in nature, that have an interest in environmental initiatives that have stability in terms of location and don’t necessarily have deep pockets to fund renewable energy on their structures alone,” Roberts says.
BEYOND TARGETS
The next project up is at St Michael’s Anglican Church in Canmore. There’s another ‘shovel ready’ project coming in swiftly – and the line is growing. But so is the widening circle of locals getting involved as members and investors. In 2021, the Coop’s goals included gathering 50 members, which they surpassed, and $75,000 in investment for projects, which they nearly doubled.
“We thought we’d have to go looking for hosts, but they’re coming to us now from all over the place. There’s a real interest in the energy transition.”
GET INVOLVED
The energy transition is a massive task for our society. But it also involves somewhat straightforward opportunities to make an impact individually. From choosing what vehicle you drive to what you buy at the supermarket, each person can make a difference. Here in the Bow Valley, BVGEC offers local residents a chance to step in to the transition and to help support the Coop’s work. From volunteering expertise to investing, there’s a role for everyone.
Right now, the amount of opportunities in front of BVGEC are “vastly outstripping our abilities,” Roberts says. “We’re volunteers, and we’ve got much more work than we have hands.”
All are welcome to learn more and get involved in a growing community of locals who believe in renewable energy and the energy transition, who agree with Jeff Roberts that “individuals can make a difference”
Learn more about how you can get involved in Bow Valley Green Energy Coop.