A First Nations community near Edmonton has installed a new solar panel system as part of Alberta’s Indigenous Solar Program.
With a $184,304 grant, Ermineskin Cree Nation has installed a solar array at the Maskwacis Mall.
The investment is expected to reduce utility costs by approximately $8,000 per year, as well as prevent about 980 tonnes of GHGs per year from entering the atmosphere.
The grant is part of $35 million in funding available in 2017-18 for Indigenous climate leadership programs that help Indigenous communities respond to climate change and provide greater energy security, the province says.
The Nation also received $381,000 in Alberta grants to examine potential energy-conservation measures for a number of community buildings and homes, develop two new solar voltaic farms and study its electricity distribution system.
