December 2017

GLOBAL UPDATES
USA
Initiative set up to help electric co-ops increase clean energy
A campaign across the US is encouraging
people in rural communities to support
electric co-ops.
The National Cooperative Business
Association CLUSA International has
teamed up with the Environmental
and Energy Study Institute to deliver
the programme to reduce energy costs,
improve reliability and comfort, and
increase efficiency in rural households
across the country.
Electric co-ops will be supported
through the partnership to develop “onbill
financing programmes” for energy
efficiency upgrades, community projects
in solar, and clean energy storage.
On-bill financing gives electric co-op
members the ability to finance energy
improvements that are repaid over time
on their bill.
Doug O’Brien, executive vice president
of programs at NCBA CLUSA, said:
“Co-ops are the best way to make sure
this programme reaches those who need
it most. Rural electric co-ops, as memberowned
entities, are uniquely organised
to always put their members first. With
growing opportunities in energy efficiency
and renewable energy, co-operatives are
the way to make sure that people have
access to these cutting-edge solutions.”
EESI executive director Carol Werner
added: “On-bill financing means more
money in the pockets of rural households.
On-bill financing makes it much easier
and cheaper for households to invest in
renewable energy and energy efficiency,
which helps them save money. It makes
their homes more comfortable and creates
local jobs. Electric co-ops have been
innovative leaders of this approach over
the past decade, and there is enormous
potential to grow: there are more than
900 electric co-ops across the country.
EESI has been actively supporting onbill
financing since 2010. We’ve helped
develop federal loan opportunities that
allow rural electric co-operatives to
pursue on-bill programmes.”
The partnership’s leads are Jason
Walsh for NCBA CLUSA and John-Michael
Cross for EESI. Mr Walsh was previously
a Senior Advisor to the US Department
of Energy’s assistant secretary for
energy efficiency and renewable energy
(EERE), and the director of EERE’s Office
of Strategic Programs; he also served
as a senior policy advisor at the White
House Domestic Policy Council. Mr Cross
has led EESI’s On-Bill Financing Project
for the past six years.
“The 42 million Americans served
by rural electric co-ops should have an
opportunity to be part of the clean energy
revolution,” says Arturo Garcia-Costas,
program officer for the environment
at New York Community Trust, which
has supported the initiative through a
one-year $150,000 grant. “We need to
support those who want to embrace
technologies that can save money, protect
the environment, and safeguard their
family’s health.”
CANADA
Housing co-ops welcome national strategy on affordable homes
Canada’s housing co-operatives have
welcomed the federal government’s
National Housing Strategy to protect lowincome
residents and to build affordable
housing for those in need.
Across the country, tens of thousands
of low-income co-op housing residents
were in danger of losing their affordable
homes. Federal and provincial funding
agreements that assist more than 20,000
low-income households living in co-op
housing with their rents were coming to
an end in large numbers.
This group consists mostly of
seniors, single-parent families, new
and indigenous Canadians, and those
living with disabilities. The strategy
announced detailed plans to protect
long-term affordability for 385,000 lowincome
residents of community housing,
including co-operatives.
After a decade of work by CHF Canada
and housing co-ops across the country,
the funding for the National Housing
Strategy has now been budgeted through
2028. It will also assist the same number
of households that are currently assisted.
“After years of uncertainty, we welcome
the federal government’s detailed plan
on how it will protect the affordability of
co-operative housing for our low-income
neighbours,” said CHF Canada president
Nicole Waldron. “We are pleased that the
government sees the value of protecting,
preserving and expanding co-op housing,
and we look forward to partnering on
solutions to the housing crisis.”
The strategy also included plans to
build new affordable housing, including
an expansion of community housing of
50,000 new units. Housing co-ops own
an estimated $5.6bn in assets and are
well positioned to support the expansion
of affordable, co-operative housing.
“It is important that we protect what we
have, but we also need to grow to help more
Canadians access an affordable home,”
said Karla Skoutajan, acting executive
director of CHF Canada. “We look forward
to working with the federal government
to ensure these initiatives are rolled out.”
14 | DECEMBER 2017