Ten Mi'kmaw communities in Nova Scotia are generating their own renewable energy after an investment of more than $4.8 million from the federal government and the communities.
The project, which is now complete, included the installation of net metered solar panels. Net metering allows the communities to generate their own electricity and supply it to the electrical utility. As a result, they only pay the "net" amount of electricity, which is the difference between what their solar systems produce versus the amount of electricity that they actually consume from the grid.
Each community will reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint while creating employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector and giving the Mi'kmaw more control over their energy and environmental future.
Ulnooweg Development Group, a not-for-profit organization that supports Indigenous businesses in Atlantic Canada, managed the funding agreement on behalf of the ten participating First Nations communities: Acadia, Annapolis Valley, Eskasoni, Glooscap, Millbrook, Paqtnkek, Pictou Landing, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, and Waycobah.
Two majority Indigenous owned renewable energy construction companies, Bayside Renewables and Eskasoni Renewables, successfully installed all of the solar systems across the ten communities, building capacity for future renewable energy projects.
