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Published in Summer 2006
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Renewable energy for remote communities
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By Carlos Sandoval
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With ever-increasing oil prices demonstrating the limitations of our dependence on natural resources, more and more people are turning to renewable energy sources and eco-efficient practices such as water and energy conservation for answers.
In the transportation sector, biodiesel is slowly gaining prominence as an organic fuel that can extend an engine’s life and substantially reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Derived from such crops as soybeans, biodiesel is biodegradable, safe to handle and store, and can be used on any existing diesel engine without conversion or adjustments.
For renewable energy, solar, wind, small-scale hydro, geothermal and biomass power offer the most attractive solutions.
In Mexico, where five million inhabitants lack access to electricity services, renewable energy can bring electricity to small communities in the most remote regions of the country. Self-supplied renewable power generation can go where existing electrical grids cannot—and at a lower cost—factors that can make it advantageous in remote regions of other countries as well.
Such was the experience of the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation in northern Quebec, which installed a biomass heating system for their newly built village in 1993. The heating system provides space heating and domestic hot water for the entire village, some 135 homes and 16 public buildings, using waste sawdust from nearby sawmills as fuel.
Community members pay a defined amount of money for their energy services, and any extra funds go towards future housing construction. Many residents expressed their satisfaction that energy costs remained in the community, rather than being paid to external companies. And local jobs were created to operate the biomass plant.
On average, the two installed biomass boilers consume 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes of saw dust per year at an annual cost of C$25,000, but the real savings are to the environment. In the first year of operation, emissions from the biomass system reduced the production of nitrogen oxides by an estimated 35 percent, and carbon dioxide by 200 tonnes compared to an oil-fired system.
The Oujé-Bougoumou leaders and elders achieved their goal of a more sustainable community—a model that can be applied in any remote community seeking the benefits of renewable energy.
The CEC is actively engaged in the promotion of renewable energy as part of its work program. In October 2004, the CEC organized a two-day conference called Building the Renewable Energy Market in North America, where Canadian Environment Minister Stéphane Dion delivered a keynote address at a special event sponsored by the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC).
Today, we are taking another step forward with a full-day workshop on Renewable Energy Alternatives: Bio-fuels, Solar Energy and Wind Power. Scheduled in advance of the CEC Council’s annual regular session in Washington, DC, the workshop will feature breakout sessions moderated by JPAC members, and expert speakers from governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
Given the quality of presenters at this workshop and extensive participation by the public from the three countries, we anticipate valuable conclusions and recommendations will result from the workshop. As the advisory body to the CEC Council, JPAC will present these recommendations to the Council members, the public and the interested community.
Lastly, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to express my appreciation for the committed efforts of the JPAC working group that has organized this workshop, specifically Irene Henríquez of Canada, Patricia Clarey of the United States, and Eduardo Rincón of Mexico.
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