Today, Bruce Power is pleased to announce funding for two large scale environmental projects in our region through its Carbon Offset Accelerator Fund.

In November 2021, Bruce Power launched a Carbon Offset Accelerator Fund to support carbon sequestration and offset projects in the Clean Energy Frontier Region of Bruce, Grey and Huron counties and throughout Ontario.

The fund will be used to accelerate grassroots projects that will support the company’s goal of being Net Zero by 2027. It focuses on funding projects identified through the Carbon Offset Coalition, along with a partnership Bruce Power has established with Bluesource, a leading North American offset developer, and other strategic alliances with a range of organizations. 

“The projects we are supporting align well with Bruce Power’s goal to be a Net Zero emitting company by 2027 by implementing energy and emission-reduction projects in our operations, finding alternatives to high-emission energy sources and, where further reductions are not feasible, pursuing the development of carbon offsets, especially in our local area,” said Danielle LaCroix, Senior Director, Environment, Sustainability and Net Zero at Bruce Power. “These projects will have measurable positive environmental impacts in our region well into the future.”

“Bruce Power continues to demonstrate its commitment to helping Ontario reach its emissions reduction targets through its own corporate initiatives and through innovative partnerships such as the Carbon Offset Coalition,” said Hon. Todd Smith, Ontario’s Energy Minister. “We congratulate Bruce Power on its support for sustainable projects that will help build a healthy and prosperous future for our province.”

These commitments mark one year since Bruce Power made its Net Zero by 2027 commitment, focusing on projects that can mitigate climate change impacts by sequestering carbon, protect our watershed, biodiversity and wildlife habitat and maintain important wildlife corridors. Two innovative and sustainable projects in the Clean Energy Frontier region of Bruce, Grey and Huron counties will receive funding through the Carbon Offset Accelerator Fund.

In coordination with the Centre for New Nuclear and Net Zero Partnerships at the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII), Bruce Power is funding the development of carbon-offset projects in our local communities through the Carbon Offset Coalition.

Bruce Power has committed to a significant investment of more than $900,000 towards a three-year partnership with ALUS through its New Acre Project for the development of land across Bruce and Grey counties, including a minimum of 600 acres of nature-based projects that will lead to measurable environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas reductions and sequestering opportunities on marginal lands as well as biodiversity and water quality improvements.

ALUS Canada (ALUS) is a national registered charitable organization that invites farmers and ranchers to play a productive role in conservation and sustainability on their own properties. ALUS is committed to reducing GHG emissions, improving water quality and increasing biodiversity on agricultural lands by harnessing the skills of Canadian farm and ranch families and rural communities.

ALUS’ work focuses in three areas:

• Building community-level collaborations as the basis for grassroots conservation programming;
• Engaging farmers and ranchers in conservation activities to achieve better GHG, watershed and biodiversity outcomes on the working landscape; and
• Developing research partnerships to document and assess results to validate the outcomes of ALUS projects.

Bruce County owns and manages a 12,800-acre community forest in Ontario that originated from the County’s purchase of private lands that were devastated by over-harvesting or land clearing for development.

Bruce Power is entering into a non-binding agreement with Bluesource to support Bruce County’s long-term commitment to manage its forestlands sustainably and maintain and increase carbon sequestered on its lands over the long term. In addition to sequestering carbon, this project will enhance biodiversity, watershed protection, clean air and recreational values. The project is estimated to generate over 150,000 offsets over its lifetime from implementing sustainable practices and will be quantified and verified under existing carbon offset protocols and registered under a reputable carbon Registry.

In addition to these two exciting projects, Bruce Power will also dedicate a portion of program funding to public education initiatives to continue a community conversation regarding the benefits of carbon reduction and carbon sequestration projects. Further details on these initiatives will be made available as they are formed.

Bruce Power is committed to doing its part to fight climate change and help Ontario reach its Net Zero goals. In 2021, Bruce Power purchased over 12,000 high-quality carbon offsets from two Ontario projects validated under CSA Clean Projects Registry. The projects, located in Leamington, Ontario, and are focused on sustainable agriculture; using biomass boilers to warm their greenhouses. Biomass boilers are fed with organic waste from landfill, avoiding methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. The projects also reduce the operations’ dependence on fossil fuels for heating

In partnership with the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA), Bruce Power funded the planting of 36,610 trees in 2021, which is equivalent to the removal of 439 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Bruce Power is working on a five-year plan with SVCA to continue to support tree planting and carbon removal in the conservation area.

source: media release