Evidence of meeting #54 for Natural Resources in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was know.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
Those were not fast-charging stations; those were just—.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
—medium-charging stations.
Sticking with the topic of electrification, could any of you answer, in general terms, about moving to a smarter electrical grid? We always hear about how we need a smarter electrical grid to handle this shift to the electrification of all sectors. How much expenditure is going towards that, and what is the department's priority there?
Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Department of Natural Resources
Maybe to get us started I can underline that, as was announced recently, there is a pan-Canadian framework that is being slowly implemented beginning this year, but ramping up over the coming years. It's really a blueprint for reducing emissions, spurring innovation, adapting to climate change, and so forth. The minister mentioned that NRCan is active in about 30 of the overall 50 projects we are imagining. In those 30 projects, you will see investment in clean electricity. You will see new renewables being brought to the forefront. You will see support for smart grid technologies. You will see the reduction of diesel in northern communities and in remote communities north and south of 60. I think you're going to want to keep your eye on the pan-Canadian framework for sure. Budget 2017, in particular, put budgets to things like smart grids and electric vehicle infrastructure, as you mentioned, because we have to do more of that. The minister mentioned building new codes, etc., for new buildings; building tall buildings; and so forth. Many initiatives announced in 2017 really build on what was put in place in 2016.
NDP
Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC
Okay, to get back to the estimates, the amount for “the ecoENERGY for Renewable Power program” has dropped. I'm hoping that's gone somewhere else where it will still be put to good use, rather than....
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
It's a good question. The reduction is in line with the program's original spending profile, within the first 10 years of the contribution agreement. The ecoENERGY for renewable power program was launched in 2007 to encourage more renewable power projects. Almost $1.4 billion has been committed under the program to support 104 projects. Together, the projects represent more than 4,550 megawatts of renewable power capacity annually.
That supports the objectives that we had. It supports a large number of projects, including some projects in Alberta—for example, the Blue Trail wind farm. It has encouraged projects in the wind sector, in the biomass sector, hydro, and solar. Each province has had some projects supported by that program.
The last contribution agreement expires in 2020-21, and the government wants to make sure that there's good support and that this progress will be supported in the future. In the pan-Canadian framework, we have $100 million to support the next generation of smart grid, storage, and clean electricity technology. We also have $200 million to support the deployment of emerging renewable energy technology and $220 million to reduce the dependency on diesel for some communities.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Thank you. We'll have to stop there.
I'm going to turn it over to Ms. Ng in a second. That will take us to the end of round one, which I think is all the time we're going to have. I assume everybody is comfortable with that, because we have to vote on the estimates and then we have some other committee business to deal with briefly before 5:30 p.m.
Is everybody in agreement with that?
Conservative
Liberal
Mary Ng Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair; and thank you to the officials for being here today with us.
In this year's estimates, there's an increase of $145.5 million for clean growth and an increase to the climate change envelope. Could you talk to us about the breakdown of these funds and, in concrete terms, how the government is expected to use these allocated funds?
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
The increase is due to additional spending in priority areas to deliver the pan-Canadian framework. This funding increase also reflects the importance of NRCan in helping the government to meet Canada's mission innovation commitment to double the funding to R and D by 2020. Almost $100 million of this $145.5 million increase is devoted to advancing clean energy research and development and demonstration projects through the energy innovation oil and gas clean technology program.
The last budget tapped into the power of clean technology to create jobs, drive innovation, and ensure that the environment and the economy go hand in hand. We have a full suite of measures that will support these types of initiatives.
Liberal
Mary Ng Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Thank you.
Also, in this year's estimates, there's an increase of $14.3 million for the federal infrastructure initiative for contaminated sites and investments in labs and facility infrastructure modernization. Can you talk to us about how those funds will be used?
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
Thank you for the question. I think it's a key question. The federal facilities are very important. As you know, I come from a provincial government, and it was something that impressed me when I arrived, to see that the federal government has very good research facilities.
We received $89.3 million in 2014. We got $90.7 million in 2016 for major repair and upgrading of our federal laboratories. We invested all across the country. In the Pacific NR facility, we invested in the replacement of the air-handling unit, the electric-controlled furnace, and the fuel oil system. We also invested in the prairie facility. We adjusted and modernized the heating, the induction terminal unit, the air-handling system, and the laboratory hood exhaust fans. We also invested in Ontario to address the aging stormwater system, to improve site access for safety, and to replace the exterior building material that was beyond its life cycle. We also invested in the eastern Canada facility's modernization. We replaced the roof, the lighting, and the electrical system.
All of this is to make sure that we are able to conduct science in the proper way and to make sure our scientists have the best conditions possible.
Liberal
Mary Ng Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Thank you for that.
I also want to ask about an increase of $2.7 million for the interim measures as part of the federal environment assessment process in the estimates. Maybe you could talk to us about the status of the federal review on the Canadian EA process and the progress that's been achieved to date. Again, how will these funds be allocated?
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
Thank you for this very important question.
I think we are expecting the report from the NEB panel on May 15. It will be a very big piece in the modernization of the organization. We'll also see how we can make the review more effective. It was raised earlier in the discussion today that the investor wants predictability and wants an effective process. We also have to make sure that we have public confidence so we can bring our resources to market.
For the review process, we have already received the CEAA panel report. We are expecting to receive the NEB one in two weeks. We already received the recommendations for the Fisheries Act and the navigable act. With these four reviews together, the government will be able to make a decision on how it can improve the process to make it more efficient and increase Canadians' trust in the system.
Liberal
Mary Ng Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Finally, the last increase here is $3.2 million for the marine conservation targets. Can you please talk to us about the status of marine conservation efforts in Canada and how these funds will be targeted and used?
Deputy Minister, Department of Natural Resources
I think the role of NRCan for the marine conservation targets is really to bring science in to help the government make the best choice in the different areas that can be targeted for conservation. The Government of Canada is on track to meet the 2017 target of 5% protection of Canada's marine and coastal waters. The money that we receive will support, as I mentioned, our commitment to bring science into the decision-making.
Our scientists are working with Fisheries and Oceans and with Parks Canada to determine the location of the protected areas. All of this work will help to build for the future and determine the next areas that can be protected by the government.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
Thank you.
We're going to have to stop there because we have some other matters that we have to deal with.
Thank you to our witnesses for joining us this afternoon and for your patience while we dealt with matters before we got going.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
We now need to vote on the estimates. We can do it individually, or we can agree, if we have unanimous consent, to do it collectively.
Do we have unanimous consent to vote on the estimates collectively?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal James Maloney
We were doing so well there.
ATOMIC ENERGY OF CANADA LIMITED Vote 1—Payments to the corporation for operating and capital expenditures..........$971,055,162
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
CANADIAN NUCLEAR SAFETY COMMISSION Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$37,939,524
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$496,759,758 Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$55,781,300 Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$324,921,046
(Votes 1, 5 and 10 agreed to on division)
NATIONAL ENERGY BOARD Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$72,478,474
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
NORTHERN PIPELINE AGENCY Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$465,000
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
Next is the motion to report the main estimates to the House.
Shall the chair report vote 1 under Atomic Energy of Canada Limited; vote 1 under Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Natural Resources; vote 1 under National Energy Board; and vote 1 under Northern Pipeline Agency, less the amounts granted in interim supply, to the House?
