FEATURE
MEETING OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOALS Strategic electrification set to transform the built environment BY
STEVEN CORNELIUS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC SALES CANADA INC
M
any Canadian communities have developed aggressive carbon reduction goals and have published their plans to get there. Achieving these goals by 2050, however, will require much more aggressive and proactive strategies beyond the standard energy efficiency and renewable energy push.
Enhanced energy efficiency and carbon-free electricity can reduce regional emissions by only about 40% by 2050—half the amount required to achieve the 80% goal. To meet our targets, we need to incorporate a third strategy: strategic electrification.
WHAT IS STRATEGIC ELECTRIFICATION?
Strategic electrification is a movement toward powering end users with electricity instead of fossil fuels in a way that increases energy efficiency and reduces pollution, 16
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while lowering costs to customers and society. Also known as “beneficial electrification,” electricity comes from cleaner grids and renewable sources. Many experts say the movement will transform both the built environment and society’s modes of transportation. Despite the enormity and complexity of its challenges, strategic electrification can’t be dismissed as niche or a distant possibility. The movement is happening now, driven by a mix of public and private entities on the local, provincial and national levels.
