On February 15, Town Council made a unanimous decision to engage and commit to the 100% Renewable Kootenays Energy Plan initiative. The Town of Golden now joins 11 other communities in the Kootenay region committing to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
“This Town Council has been committed to addressing climate change as an overarching guiding principle since the beginning of our term in office,” said Mayor Ron Oszust. “We are excited and proud to be a part of this initiative, furthering our commitment to climate change and outlining our tactical plan to address climate change moving forward.”
The 100% Renewable Kootenays Energy Plan is an initiative led by the West Kootenay EcoSociety with a goal of working with communities across the Kootenays towards a renewable energy future. The EcoSociety’s desired outcome is to have the Kootenays transition to 100% renewable energy at the community level no later than 2050. The Plan is developed around four areas referred to as Big Moves - this includes transportation, buildings, waste and energy generation.
Local resident and EcoSociety volunteer, Calvin Beauchesne, presented the initiative to Council in December 2021, making a request of Council to consider signing on to join the initiative.
“I am inspired by Golden’s community and council. Golden is leading the way for other rural communities like theirs to be a part of the common-sense renewable energy transition that is already underway across Canada and the world,” says Natasha Edmunds, EcoSociety’s Organizing Director.
The Town of Golden has already been taking important steps to address climate change and reduce its carbon footprint from a climate adaptation perspective over the last number of years. This includes everything from small steps like replacing lights to be more energy-efficient; medium-sized projects such as installing EV charging stations and solar lamp standards along the pathway and replacing the Rec Plex’s HVAC system with energy-efficient equipment; and large scale initiatives such as increased flood protection and mitigation and wildfire interface fuel treatment efforts.
The next steps will see Town staff engaging with the EcoSociety and the 100% Renewable Energy Plan Working Group to develop a roadmap and set of Big Move actions specific to Golden.
Learn more about the EcoSociety and the 100% Renewable Energy Plan initiative at www.ecosociety.ca.
Stay tuned for updates!