Oshawa adopts new corporate energy management plan

Oshawa Council has approved a new Corporate Energy Management Plan that is expected to build on earlier progress that has seen the City achieve a 22 per cent reduction in Energy Use Intensity of Buildings and a 48 per cent reduction in corporate facility-related greenhouse gas emissions since 2007.

The 2024-2028 Corporate Energy Management Plan combines the City’s previous Corporate Facilities Energy Management Plan and includes the goals and objectives of the City’s Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan.

“As a leader in environmental management, the City of Oshawa is proud to release our new Corporate Energy Management Plan that will guide our energy conservation actions over the next four years,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “We are proud of our many successes to date, including achieving the final milestone of the Partners for Climate Protection program.”

The Plan highlights the City’s current energy conservation measures and actions (including reaching the fifth and final milestone in the Partners of Climate Change Protection program); identifies areas of opportunity (including a corporate Green Building Standard); outlines actions to assist in achieving the City’s goals and objectives for conserving energy, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and managing the demand for energy; and sets corporate targets.

Since 2016 Oshawa has:

• installed 16 EV charging stations (with 14 public-facing)
• won a Canada Region Institutional Energy Management Award for 2020
• avoided approximately $2.3 million in operational costs as a result of Energy Capital Projects completed between 2018 and 2022
• saved approximately $316,000 as a result of Natural Gas procurement strategies between 2020 and 2022

“The City of Oshawa is taking action to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower costs. One of our many achievements is the $2.3 million avoided in operational costs as a result of energy capital projects completed over the last four years. These savings will allow the City to fund other needed projects to benefit the citizens of Oshawa,” said Councillor Brian Nicholson, Chair of the Safety and Facilities Services Committee.

The Plan includes a Council-adopted vision statement for energy management that energy management will be incorporated into “all corporate asset management activities, including capital, operations and maintenance decisions; and financial management and procurement decisions.”

For more information and to view the 2024-2028 Corporate Energy Management Plan, visit Oshawa.ca/energyplan.