Inco Innovation Centre, Memorial University
Monday, January 19th, 2009, 7:30 pm NDT

Click here to view the video

Click to view the poster, program and presentations
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Energy Plan, released in 2007, describes the province as an “energy warehouse”, with huge untapped sources of energy able to supply both our own needs and those of consumers outside the province. In reality, the plan focuses mostly on generating revenues through centrally controlled electricity and oil and gas projects. There is little in the plan that addresses how our energy resources, including those on the island portion of the province, could be used to foster sustainable community development in an environmentally-sensitive manner.

What would the Energy Plan look like if regional development and the environment were as important as increasing revenues from our energy resources? Is it technically feasible to recommend the adoption of proven renewable energy technology through a distributed approach – that is, having a large number of locally-directed, small-scale generation facilities spread across the province? What is the potential for this alternative strategy, and how could it work alongside the current provincial plan? Finally, what should be the links between energy supply and sustainable community development?
This presentation will build upon the work of Memorial University’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and its Department of Geography, with input from the Sierra Club of Canada:

• Andy Fisher, professor of Engineering
• Sarah Patricia Breen, Master's student in Geography
• Nick Burnaby, Energy Coordinator with the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club