Community Energy and Emissions Plan

City of Thunder Bay landscape in the evening

EarthCare Thunder Bay has begun the planning process for the creation of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP). EarthCare Thunder Bay will conduct a community-wide energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory and develop an action plan to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions, with the ultimate goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

The CEEP is scheduled to be completed in early 2021 and will be shaped by a community engagement process. The completed CEEP will provide a slate of ambitious actions to increase energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions throughout Thunder Bay.

Community Engagement During COVID-19

COVID-19 is transforming our world and affecting all of our daily lives. Planning for energy is one of the critical challenges we face. Help us continue this important work as we engage with stakeholders to develop the CEEP to identify and promote policies, practices, and an approach to energy that meets our needs and promotes sustainability into the future.

As of March 13, 2020 all in-person engagement was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities to participate online can be found below or in the Key Dates section.

Community Engagement During COVID-19

As of March 13, 2020 all in-person engagement was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities to participate online can be found below or in the Key Dates section.

New online engagement tool is active!

06 Oct 2020
If you have a question about the Community Energy and Emissions Plan, the Questions tool is open until the Plan is complete. Click on the "Questions" tab above. You are encouraged to read the Low Carbon Actions & Best Practices Reference booklet located in the Documents section.

Ways to participate include:
- Ask a question: Questions tool
Who will help create the CEEP?

06 Oct 2020

The project will bring together: energy experts, City staff and officials, local businesses, institutions, industry, not-for-profit organizations, and the community.
Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), a workers’ co-operative focused on state-of-the-art community energy planning, climate action planning, and climate change adaptation projects, is the lead consultant on the development of the CEEP. SSG has engaged Arbora Management Services to assist in local engagement and workshop delivery for the CEEP process.
Why are we developing a Community Energy and Emissions Plan?

06 Oct 2020
In 2019, the City of Thunder Bay received funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Province of Ontario’s Municipal Energy Plan Program for the creation of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP). On January 13, 2020 Thunder Bay City Council declared a climate emergency emphasising the urgency of addressing climate change. The climate emergency reinforces the need for a CEEP to provide the community with the information and tools to make decisions that contribute to the decarbonisation of Thunder Bay.
A CEEP will help our community:
- Improve energy efficiency;
- Reduce energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- Study the impact of future growth on energy needs;
- Foster renewable energy production;
- Support and guide economic development; and
- Meaningfully participate in climate action.