Building Sustainable Communities: The Danish Experience

Message from the EDA Chair, John Loucks

This summer, the EDA coordinated a fact-finding tour to Denmark for a number of its LDC members, to broaden LDC knowledge and understanding of some of the emerging roles for LDCs under the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The new opportunities for LDCs are significant, encompassing CDM, renewable and distributed generation, and smart grid development.

Denmark is a leader in the field of renewable energy, distributed generation, smart grid development and sustainable communities. We learned how the Danish energy industry overcame some of the obstacles we face today in Ontario, such as the intermittency of wind and solar energy and the “not-in-my-backyard” attitude of many consumers.

We also discovered other exciting possibilities in working with renewable sources. We brought back much food for thought to inspire locally relevant ways in which the electricity distribution companies of Ontario can participate in the emerging green economy, and contribute to building a green future for our province.

We have summarized our experiences in a film, premiered at the EDA’s Executive Symposium, which is available to all our members. Members are authorized and encouraged to share this film with their staff and shareholders. The lessons learned from our Danish counterparts are of significant value to Ontario LDCs as they design their own business strategies to meet their new opportunities and obligations in the competitive Ontario marketplace.

For further information, please contact Christine Hallas, Manager of Communications and Media Relations at (905) 265-5322 or by e-mail at challas@eda-on.ca.