The town of Antigonish is working on a project the Mayor says will change the trajectory of the electric utility and the town’s impact on the environment.
Antigonish Mayor Laurie Boucher said the town has a goal of eventually reaching zero carbon
emissions. As part of that goal, the town issued a request for information (ROI) back in March, the goal of which according to the town’s website, is to determine the market’s technical and commercial expertise that can be applied to the Town’s Electrified District Heating System and Substation Consolidation Project. Boucher said the town wants to partner with StFX to bring the school over to the town’s power, which she said would be one of the largest emissions reduction initiatives in the region.
The mayor said they are also waiting on word of funding from the federal and provincial governments.
While the goal of zero emissions could take some time, Boucher said they want to take steps forward. At the moment, 63 per cent of the electricity used in the town and fringe area comes from green sources. Part of the green energy comes from what they buy from NS Power and part comes from the AREA windfarm, a partnership involving Antigonish and two other municipalities. The town is also looking at a solar garden.