September 20, 2022 – It’s hard to believe how quickly the time has passed since our last edition and, especially, how much news and information we’ve shared in that time.

(To that end, I strongly encourage you to sign up for our weekly newsletter or to visit our website regularly. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, where we are the “Electrical Business Network”, and Twitter, where we are “EBMag”.)

If there is any one thing I wish to highlight from the last several weeks, it has to be the piles and piles of cash that both Ottawa and the provinces are spending on Electrification. For example:

Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, launched an RFP for the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), which aims to expand ZEV charging infrastructure […] up to a maximum of $5 million per project.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank and Regional Municipality of Durham have signed an MoU that could see the bank provide up to $68 million to support Durham Region Transit’s purchase of up to 100 battery electric buses.

Through its Indigenous Energy Support Programs, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator is providing more than $4.8 million to 47 communities and organizations to support a suite of energy-related programs and projects.

BC residents, businesses and municipalities can receive higher rebates for electric vehicle charging stations thanks to $2 million in funding from NRCan.

Ottawa is supporting Newfoundland & Labrador Hydro’s effort to install up to 113 electric vehicle chargers across the province with $805,000.

These examples barely scratch the surface. Without getting into debates over whether any of these initiatives are practical or affordable, or whether they solve any climate issues—or can even be built by Ottawa’s proclaimed deadlines—this simple fact remains: electrification is here.

And while various pundits may tout the promise of a hydrogen economy, electricity has already proved itself as a capable “fuel” in numerous applications—and it continues to find new ones.

This is the decade—if not the century—for electrical professionals to shine, so don’t get caught off guard. Sharpen those business development pencils now.

— Anthony Capkun, acapkun@ebmag.com.

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