In Alberta, $5.1 million were spent on the energy program and half of the money went to two projects.
The first was a water treatment facility in Northern Sunrise County and its partners. It uses geothermal energy and is an example of energy efficiency. The total funding came to $300 million.
The second project was really interesting. It is a district heating system using solar energy and stored heat. It is located in the municipality of Okotoks. The funding amount was $2.5 million. I should point out that it is in the riding of the Minister of State for Finance and that Mr. Leef and Mr. Andrews have described the effect the program is having. On October 5, 2012…
Natural Resources Canada said that this solar community has set a new world record for energy efficiency and innovation. They got the ENERGY GLOBE World Award for sustainability last year. They've got numerous awards. I would say congratulations on supporting that project. Unfortunately, the government doesn't mention your contribution to it.
Of those projects mentioned before, there were two that went towards projects and 26 were towards studies.
My question is simple: in your view, how can innovative ideas be included in the studies so that they end up as concrete projects? What challenges are involved?