July 5, 2023 – Despite raging wildfires and the declaration of a state of emergency, those hearty members of the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta went ahead with a successful annual conference and Training Day in beautiful Jasper.

I was scheduled to speak at Training Day, but my anxiety over those fires and road closures kept me home. The ECAA team understood my pickle, and worked with the hotel to help me Zoom into Training Day for my presentation.

While not the same as being there, I am very grateful to Robin, Christine, Larry, and the lodge for helping me attend in some capacity.

My session started with an overview of Budget 2023, highlighting areas that intersect with—and present opportunities for—electrical pros:

• Electrification (obviously)
• Clean energy
• Clean manufacturing
• Emissions reduction

I highlighted a number of federal initiatives that aim to advance things like non-emitting electricity generation systems, stationary electricity storage systems, equipment for the transmission of electricity between provinces and territories, etc.—all of which involve electrical contractors and their clients.

On the electrification side, electric vehicles continue to dominate the zero-emission conversation. As you flip through the Industry News section, you’ll see tons of news on EVs, and it goes well beyond just personal vehicles; in fact, two very important market segments are public transit and school buses.

As for regular electric vehicles, the $680-million Zero-Emission Vehicles Infrastructure Program is alive and well, and available until 2027.

I pointed out where in Canada opportunities for electrical contractors existed, and labour supports that are available right now to them.

Most importantly, I emphasized the path of pursuing emissions reductions (which is top-of-mind in Ottawa!) through energy efficiency and electrification. And there’s no one better positioned to deliver those solutions than you.

— Anthony Capkun, acapkun@ebmag.com.

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