UP TO $50 MILLION TO RESHAPE THE PROVINCE’S ENERGY SYSTEMS

Successful applicants are eligible for up to $10 million with a minimum request of $250,000. The maximum ERA contribution to a single project will be no more than 50 per cent of the project’s eligible expenses. The Reshaping Energy Systems application deadline is Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 5 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (UTC-6h) and an informational webinar was held on Monday, April 24, 2023, from 2-3 p.m.

Click the links below for more details: 

• Call for Expressions of Interest Guidelines 
• Call for Expressions of Interest Template
• Eligible Expense and Cost Instructions 
• Privacy, Confidentiality, Data, and Security Policy 
• Frequently Asked Questions 
• Register for the informational webinar 

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Innovators, technology developers, Indigenous communities, industrial facility owners/operators, industrial associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development (R&D) organizations, universities, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, government research labs, and individuals are invited to apply.

Collaboration between multiple organizations is encouraged. Applicants are also encouraged to partner with Alberta’s post-secondary and research institutions, Indigenous communities, and municipalities where appropriate.

FOCUS AREAS

Projects of interest include, but are not limited to:  

• Electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) innovation, including:
  • Innovative medium- and high-voltage direct current (DC) solutions
  • Novel materials for wire (conductor) replacement and other solutions for T&D capacity additions and/or efficiency improvement
  • Line monitoring and dynamic line rating technologies
  • Supporting technologies for cross-border electricity interconnections
  • Non-wires alternatives for T&D
  • Grid T&D controls and digital solutions
• Novel low-emissions solutions for grid services (e.g., innovative approaches to providing spinning reserve, frequency regulation, and other ancillary services.)
• Novel solutions to enhance grid reliability and resilience.
• Smart grid, microgrid, and grid edge solutions including novel distributed energy resources and solutions for remote, rural, and/or indigenous communities.
• Solutions to integrate net-zero and net-zero-ready buildings with the broader energy system, including:
  • Building-integrated renewables
  • District energy systems
  • Novel grid-interactive building technologies such as demand response, control aggregation/coordination, virtual power plants, and smart heat pumps
• Novel solutions for liquid and gas pipeline networks, including:
  • Electrification of compressors and engines
• Energy storage technologies, including:
  • Storage of electricity via chemical, mechanical, electrochemical, or other means
  • Thermal energy storage
• Digital solutions for energy management, including artificial intelligence/machine learning for grid management, advanced controls for energy end-use optimization (facility- or system-level), industrial demand response, and other demand-side-management solutions.
• Novel zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure (battery electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, etc.), including:
  • Novel charging solutions (multifamily residential, battery storage enabled, etc.)
  • Novel fueling stations (hydrogen, etc.)
  • Vehicle-to-grid and similar technologies
• Solutions for clean fleets (e.g.: transit, city services, corporate/service fleets, school busses, micromobility, and others.)

Given the unique supporting role that energy systems play in overall decarbonization pathways, ERA recognizes that solutions in this area may predominantly feature indirect or enabled GHG emissions reductions as opposed to direct or on-site reductions. Proposed technologies are not required to directly reduce GHG emissions provided there is a strong case for their overall contribution to transitioning energy systems to net-zero emissions.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STAGE

Expressions of interest were invited for innovation to the stages of field piloting, commercial demonstration, or first-of-kind commercial implementation, as described below:

• Field Pilot: At this stage, the technology or innovation is ready to be field-tested in an operational environment. Projects in this category include scale-up of prototypes to representative pilot scale and subsequent in-field testing of pilot units.
• Commercial Demonstration: At this stage of development, the technology or innovation is approaching the final commercial product and representative systems have been built. Projects in this category include the demonstration of near- or fully-commercial scale systems in an operational environment.
• First-of-Kind Commercial Implementation: At this stage, the technology is ready for first-of-kind commercial deployment. Projects in this category will involve the design, construction, and operation of the technology in its final commercial form, with the intent to operate the technology for its full commercial life.

PROJECT LOCATION

All projects supported through this Call must demonstrate a clear and justified value proposition for reducing GHG emissions or enabling the transition to a net-zero economy in Alberta. While technology solutions can originate from anywhere globally, they must be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in Alberta.

APPROVAL PROCESS

Submissions will be selected through ERA’s competitive review process. A team of experts in science, engineering, business development, commercialization, financing, and GHG quantification will conduct an independent, rigorous, transparent review overseen by a Fairness Monitor.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

All ERA funding recipients are required to produce a final outcomes report that is shared publicly for the broader benefit of Alberta. Funding recipients will be required to report on project outcomes, achievements, and lessons learned including GHG reductions, job creation, and other environmental, economic, and social benefits.

ABOUT EMISSIONS REDUCTION ALBERTA (ERA):

For more than 13 years, ERA has been investing revenues from the carbon price paid by large emitters to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative clean technology solutions. Since we were established in 2009, we have committed $855 million toward 245 projects worth $7.1 billion that are helping to reduce GHGs, create competitive industries and are leading to new business opportunities in Alberta. These projects are estimated to deliver cumulative GHG reductions of 41 million tonnes by 2030 and 105 million tonnes by 2050.

ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION REGULATION

The Technology Innovation Emissions Reduction (TIER) regulation is at the core of emissions management in Alberta. TIER implements Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing and emissions trading system. TIER is an improved system to help industrial facilities find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to stay competitive and save money.