University of Calgary receives $4.2 million for clean energy transmission research
Federal funding supports the Western Transmission Catalyst program to expand electricity connections across Western Canada while advancing Indigenous involvement in energy projects.
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More than $4 million in federal funding is headed to the University of Calgary as part of a broader $26 million investment in clean energy projects across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson announced the $4.2 million investment Saturday at the University of Calgary's downtown campus. The funds will support the Western Transmission Catalyst (WTC) program, aimed at expanding electricity transmission connections across Western Canada to improve grid reliability, affordability, and the sharing of clean energy between provinces.
Dr. Blake Shaffer, who co-leads the university's interdisciplinary electricity centre, will head the program alongside the Indigenous Power Coalition, a non-profit organization pushing for Indigenous involvement in energy projects to advance economic reconciliation. The coalition's executive director, Kwatuuma Cole Sayers, said the program addresses how Canada will interconnect its grid while ensuring generations to come have access to affordable and reliable energy.
The funding is one of 17 projects receiving support through the Government of Canada's Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, with additional funding from Indigenous Services Canada for solar energy projects led by Indigenous groups. The investment builds on Canada's National Electricity Strategy announced in May.
