Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll start with my comments to the gentlemen from Surrey, but I have a bit of a story to tell, first.
A few years ago I had someone from the natural gas industry in my office. They were talking to me about how they had approached the City of Ottawa to convert its bus fleet over to natural gas. This person had offered an eight- or ten-year guaranteed contract on prices on everything and had worked out the economics. Without federal or provincial funding, it would have worked for Ottawa, saved it money, saved it all sorts of things and it would be environmentally friendly. The city council here in Ottawa dismissed it after a few minutes to an hour of discussion on it. This brings me to the projects you have.
We often have heard about people who have been promoting new ideas or new technology, but you guys are the customers effectively here. What made you adopt a new technology? What was it about innovation that made you say, “Okay, we think we can change this”? Other people I've talked to said that often inventors, new people with their technology, are enamoured with it but they don't quite realize that the marginal benefit that the customer, be it a government entity or a larger corporation or somebody, will get isn't worth what it is.
What was it that caused you guys to say that this project makes sense on the bottom line for the taxpayers of Surrey, it makes sense for us? What were the elements that were important in the innovative technology for you?