It’s well past time that we as a city tap into this opportunity to create well-paying jobs for Edmontonians. We have an exceptional energy workforce. They have fuelled our economy, and we need to build on their strengths. As we transition, we will not leave hard-working Edmontonians or their families behind.

Clean energy is rapidly replacing non-renewable resources not just because of environmental concerns, but because of cost. In much of the world, it’s already cheaper to build solar or wind farms than to operate coal or gas power plants. Even in Alberta, the cost of renewable energy is now on par with natural gas.

Alberta has lots of potential with renewable energy, whether it’s solar, wind, geothermal, or local hydrogen — led by our Edmonton Hydrogen Hub. We’re also beginning a large-scale transition to electric and clean energy transportation, and we have opportunities in sectors like lithium which is needed to build electric vehicles.

Electric cars are expected to be cheaper than gasoline ones by 2025.

The City needs to prepare for, and then lead, this transition as it happens. The City also needs to reimagine how we build our city and the way we get around to reflect changes that both benefit the climate, and facilitate people’s choices about where they decide to live and how they get around.

As Mayor, I’ll seek funding from our provincial and federal partners to advance Edmonton’s energy transition, through opportunities such as the Infrastructure Bank, which recently funded the purchase of zero-emission buses and a feasibility study for energy retrofits.

Our LRT expansion, combined with sustainable modes of transportation such as pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, has given more people the option of taking transit, walking, or biking. But there’s more work to do. Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan calls for half the population to use low carbon modes of transportation by 2040, including electric vehicles, transit, walking, biking, and e-scooters. While I am committed to 2040, I will also explore opportunities to get it done faster if possible.

With the right investments, this can be a transformative decade for Edmonton. Here is how we can do it.

The steps toward Edmonton’s Energy Transition

• Implement the Electric Vehicle Strategy, and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles: We can do this by building partnerships to establish an electric vehicle charging station network, and requiring new commercial and residential buildings to be electric vehicle-ready using zoning bylaws.
• Assess the City’s existing vehicle fleet: I will direct City Administration to create a formal low- and zero-emissions vehicle policy for its own fleet, including Edmonton Transit, and ensure that all new vehicle acquisitions in the City fleet are zero-emission by 2025. This means electric, hydrogen, or another clean energy source. We should also review the overall size of the City’s fleet.
• Re-evaluate the public transit network redesign with an equity lens: I’ve heard from Edmontonians who are unhappy about these changes – some face impossible walk distances or outright loss of service. We need to ensure Edmontonians most in need are not unduly negatively impacted by the changes. We have to make sure changes to our transit system don’t prevent or discourage people — especially those who most need it — from accessing public transit.
• Reduce transit costs: I will direct Administration to present Council with options on reducing the cost of transit, whether for limited occasions or year-round. We need to ensure transit is cost-competitive with other modes, especially private vehicles if we want more people to choose it as an option. We have had success with seniors’ passes and the Universal Bus Pass for post-secondary students. We need to keep searching for creative ways to reduce the costs for people who need it.
• Promote Edmonton as a hydrogen hub: We have tremendous industrial and construction expertise. We can channel that expertise into good jobs in the clean energy economy. This would include working with partners on a roadmap to an optimal hydrogen fuel electric community. Edmonton can start by re-developing its own infrastructure to support hydrogen and electrification, and identifying city-owned sites that can serve as prototypes.
• Support and advocate nationally and internationally for our business community: Edmonton is uniquely positioned as a construction hub for clean energy infrastructure. We have served as the backbone for the construction of the oil sands and other major industrial projects. We cannot leave our community members who work in these industries behind; they must be a key part of the clean energy economy too.
• Advocate alongside our regional partners: As Mayor, I will work with our regional partners in the Edmonton metro region and beyond to advocate for funding that builds out a large-scale regional zero-emissions vehicle fuelling network, similar to the Peaks to Prairies EV network in Southern Alberta.
• Taking corporate leadership on climate change mitigation: Our City infrastructure is not immune to the impacts of climate change, and we need to consider those impacts in our decisions about new infrastructure. As a federal minister, I worked with provincial partners to develop a climate lens to assess the resiliency of infrastructure projects and I will work with City Council to direct Administration to add a climate lens to neighbourhood renewal considerations, to ensure new infrastructure is built to be resilient to extreme temperatures, flash downpours, and other weather events. As a corporation, the City of Edmonton has an obligation to show leadership on this file. I will also ask Council and Administration to join me in working to reduce our waste as a corporation and provide greater tools and resources to businesses and citizens to do so as well. This waste reduction will include supporting federal and provincial waste education initiatives with common goals. 

  There’s a lot of work to be done to transition our energy use, both as a city and as individuals. We cannot wait any longer to make these changes — we’re already falling behind, the planet is changing as we speak, and the world economy is following suit.

  While there are costs to making these changes, there is also a great opportunity to grow our economy, create jobs, attract workers and talent to Edmonton, and make our city a leader, and not a follower, as we navigate this transition.