Episode 7: Greening the Economy, Greening the Grid
Microgrids can be part of building more local, climate-resilient energy infrastructure and providing opportunities for community-owned power and Indigenous energy sovereignty.
Source: From "Microgrids should be the future of electricity. Let's fund them." Corporate Knights. https://www.corporateknights.com/energy/the-microgrid-is-the-future-of-electricity/
This is a two-part episode that examines climate change and our current economic model. In part one, we’ll learn more about two of the industries that are some of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases in Canada, and the shifts underway within these sectors to not only reduce emissions but to move towards net zero.
In part two, we’ll focus on greening the grid. We will look at how microgrids are part of building more local, climate-resilient energy infrastructure, and how these locally scaled smart grids can provide opportunities for community-owned and -produced power as well as Indigenous energy sovereignty.
Learn more about the experts interviewed this episode by visiting the following links (in order of appearance):
Brent Preston
Farmer, The New Farm, https://thenewfarm.ca/
Director, Farmers for Climate Solutions, https://farmersforclimatesolutions.ca/
President, Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, https://efao.ca/
Emma Jarratt
Executive Editor, Electric Autonomy Canada
https://electricautonomy.ca/
Dr. Christina Hoicka
Canada Research Chair in Urban Planning for Climate Change
Associate Professor, Geography and Civil Engineering, University of Victoria
https://www.socialexergy.com/
Dr. Vidya Vankayala
Director, Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team (SMART)
British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
https://www.bcit.ca/applied-research/smart-microgrid/
Mary Warner
Co-Executive Director, Finance & Operations, TREC Renewable Energy Co-op
https://www.trec.on.ca/
Chris Henderson
Founding Executive Director, Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) Social Enterprise
https://indigenouscleanenergy.com/
MEDIA about Episode 7
Read an article written by Sarah that complements this podcast episode, called “Small (and smart) is beautiful: Community-scaled, connected solutions can usher in a just transition to net zero“.
