1. Community Energy Planning: Creating the Conditions for Implementation
Original: October 2015
Revised: December 2016

2. Overview 3.1 CEP Implementation Challenges
3.2 CEP Implementation Success Factors
3.3 CEP Implementation Readiness Survey and Framework
This third and final module is focused on implementation-> in Module 1, we heard about the elements of CEPs, why they make good economic sense and methods of communicating their benefits. In module 2, we looked at how CEPs fit within broader provincial policies on energy and land-use, and specifically the interplay between CEPs and Ontario’s LTEP, Conservation First and the IESO’s regional electricity planning.
This module has three main components that are aimed at bringing us back to helping your efforts to advance your CEPs and get results:
First, alignment with your objectives
Second, how to work with stakeholders
Third, using available tools to influence change

3. 3.1 CEP Implementation Challenges

4. All Communities face challenges with CEP implementation
Political, staff and stakeholder engagement
Staff and financial capacity
Embedding energy into local government plans and processes

5. 3.2 CEP Implementation Success Factors

6. What to Consider When Developing a CEP
…involves a strategic situational analysis
Energy + Emission Profile
Community Form + Geography
Provincial Policy Context
Local Policy Context
Local Socio Economics
Strategic Action Plans
Successful plan implementation is more likely if your unique community context is taken into account during the planning process
A good plan starts with an energy and emission profile.
The profile will measure or estimate emissions from residential, institutional and commercial buildings and from industrial buildings and processes. Buildings should be assessed according to use, size, year built, type of energy consumed and energy costs. The kind of transportation used for personal and commercial consumption should be assessed, including type of vehicles and kilometers travelled, as well as type of fuel used and fuel costs. Don’t forget emissions from solid waste disposal – in particular assess how much green waste your community generates. Finally, take note of local drivers and constraints related to each of these.
Community Form and geography  should also inform the selection of policies and actions.
Where do people live and where do they work? What does your road system look like, is there transit, are there bike lanes? Are there any renewable energy resources nearby? What kind of infrastructure supports the community? Does it get very hot or very cold and, if so, for how long?
Community socio economics are also important: look at the demographics of your community – who lives there, how old are they, what is the average income? What do they do? Is your community growing – either in terms of population or employment? Does housing supply equal demand? What is the cost of living? What forms the basis of your economy and what opportunities might exist in the future? What is your community’s defining history?
Local, provincial and even federal policies can impact your chance of success.
What are your core community priorities? How does your energy plan fit in with other community plans and objectives? Do higher levels of government mandate energy planning, encourage it or ignore it? What kind of funding is there, what does it support and how hard is it to get? Do the funded priorities fit with your priorities? Having support at the political level makes a world of difference. How do you proceed without it? Something we’ll be discussing in more detail later.
All together, these components form the basis of a strategic action plan.

7. Success Factor: Engagement
Who and What to Consider when Developing a CEP
External &
Internal Partners
Desired Outcomes
Gas utilities
Industry
Electrical utilities
Transportation
Non-profits
Consumers
Economic Development
Planning, Environment, Infrastructure
Developers & builders
City Council
Public
Institutions
Image Source: City of Guelph
While CEPs are led by municipalities, it requires a range of stakeholders to get from setting objectives/targets to developing and implementing a detailed plan
When engaging staff, stakeholders and working with Council to begin developing a CEP, questions about the contents and logistics may be raised. Here are some things to consider before getting started:
General Outcomes/Deliverables (Goals & Vision)
Identify what the CEP aims to achieve:
integrates energy into municipal planning processes
supports environmental goals as part of a GHG reduction strategy
enhances energy efficiency in the municipal corporation or in the wider community;
develops specific actions that support a broader sustainability strategy in your municipality
Time frame
Is this a ten or twenty year plan? Will it be reviewed every 5 years like an Official Plan or does it correspond to the time frame in other key City documents like the strategic plan or the business plan?
Scope
Decide which sectors will be included in the CEP - consider residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, agricultural and transportation sectors.
Stakeholders
Identify key energy-related stakeholders that can provide information, resources, strategy direction and technical support to the project.
Other: Available funding, other resources, work team, project leadership within the municipality, framing the narrative (By discussing and documenting these key considerations your team will have framed a narrative and developed a vocabulary for talking about energy in your community. This narrative can become the basis for the key messages that will frame the communications strategy for the CEP.)
(Source: Community Energy Planning in Ontario: A Primer, 2013)

8. Success Factor: Engagement Who should be engaged in the CEP?
The following chart illustrates the range of stakeholders involved in CEP development and implementation. They are ranked in terms of their importance for implementation.
Stakeholders highlighted in red were identified as the most important stakeholders to engage.
Some of the key stakeholders you need to engage with: planning, engineering and finance departments, electric and gas utilities, provincial government and agencies and real estate developers.
While this ranking will differ for every municipality, it’s interesting to see the broad range of stakeholders that were being engaged and their relative importance. At the top, are the planning department, electric and gas utilities, real estate developers.
(Source: National Report on Community Energy Plan Implementation)
Source: National Report on Community Energy Plan Implementation

9. Success Factor: Engagement
Advice for engagement
Focus on partnerships
Early, sustained engagement is key – engage broadly!
Identify points of commonality between the CEP objectives and community stakeholders
Focus on actions being supported by utilities, provincial government and others stakeholders
The following chart illustrates the range of stakeholders involved in CEP development and implementation. They are ranked in terms of their importance for implementation.
Some of the key stakeholders you need to engage with: planning, engineering and finance departments, electric and gas utilities, provincial government and agencies and real estate developers.
While this ranking will differ for every municipality, it’s interesting to see the broad range of stakeholders that were being engaged and their relative importance. At the top, are the planning department, electric and gas utilities, real estate developers.
One interesting finding from our research is that we saw several CEPs that tied responsibility to certain actions. This can add another layer of accountability to the plan to ensure that it doesn’t just sit on the shelf.
(Source: National Report on Community Energy Plan Implementation)
Source: National Report on Community Energy Plan Implementation

10. Success Factor: Embedding the CEP into Local Plans and Policies

11. Success Factor: Embedding the CEP into Local Plans and Policies
Municipal Planning Tools
Official Plans, Strategic Plans and planning policies that guide future development
Zoning by-laws and minor variances to regulate and control land uses
Plans of subdivisions and land severances to divide land into separate lots for sale or development
Site plan control to provide detailed control of how a particular piece of land is developed
Community improvement policies to encourage redevelopment or revitalization of communities
Tools available include: Local Improvement Charges, Green Development Standards, Incentives, Development Charges
Each provide an opportunity to apply an energy lens to identify opportunities and synergies
These are a few of the tools and mechanisms available to planning department to better enable them to include and influence energy within the planning process. More information on these tools are available in Module 3.

12. Success Factor: Embedding the CEP into Local Plans and Policies
Actions and Policies to Advance Energy Efficiency
Utility, LIC, Rebates, Toronto HELP, CHEERIO
Energy Use Disclosures & Conservation Programs and/or Requirements (ex. Reg. 397/11, San Francisco, New York, Ontario?)
Energy & Building Labelling (residential ex. Green Button, MLS, LEED, Energy Star, etc.
Energy Performance/Benchmarking Labelling & Disclosure
Build the Market for Energy & Water Efficiency Retrofits (residential, commercial, institutional, industrial)

13. Success Factor: Embedding the CEP into Local Plans and Policies
Actions and Policies to Advance Capacity Building
Increasing Energy Literacy & Engagement: Facilitating Discussions on How much energy is used? Who uses what and how much? How does your energy use compare to others? How much does it cost? Who benefits? Who pays? Why should you care about energy use?
Sharing Success Stories and Lessons Learned, Providing Recognition, Facilitating and Fostering Sharing Opportunities
Tapping in to Existing Networks: (Clean Air Partnership, Clean Air Council, QUEST, BOMA, Partners in Project Green, Mayor’s Megawatt, Greening Health Care, CaGBC, etc.)
Increasing Awareness of Utility Programs & Incentives
Promoting Actions that Reduce Phantom Power Use
Increasing Tree Planting & Local Food Production
Actions that Increase Extreme Weather Resilience: Building Code Updates, Resilience Standards, Incentives, Awareness, Power Outage Resilience Programs

14. Success Factor: Embedding the CEP into Local Plans and Policies
Actions and Policies to Advance Distributed Energy Resources
Energy Incentives, Standards
Financing Options (ex. Local Improvement Charges, Standard Offer Contracts, Community Improvement Plans, Green Loans & Bonds, etc.)
Economic Development Recruitment & Support for Green & Clean Tech
Fostering Green & Clean Tech Clusters
Drive the Market for Community Energy Generation (PV, Wind, CHP, EFW, Condensed Boilers, Energy and Heat Recovery, Solar Thermal, Energy Storage, Heat Pumps, Geothermal, District Energy, Biofuel, Passive Buildings, etc..)

15. Success Factor: Embedding the CEP into Local Plans and Policies
Actions and Policies to Advance Smart Land Use Decisions
Land Use Policies & Plans, Compact, Efficient, Mix-Use, Infill, Redevelopment, Intensification, Growth Nodes, Mobility Hubs
Transportation Planning & EV Infrastructure
Active Transportation, Complete Streets and Transportation Demand Management Policies, Plans and Programs
Green Building & Development Standards & Mandates (Toronto, Richmond Hill, Halton Hills, Vaughan, Brampton, etc)
Green Development Programs, Checklists
Tracking of Uptake of Metrics in Standards
Energy Use Performance
Enable Community Energy Actions into Land Use, Transportation and New Development Planning

16. 3.3 CEP Implementation Readiness Survey and Framework

17. The Community Energy Implementation Framework
An online guide to help communities move CEPs from a vision to implementation
Contains 10 strategies that provide advice on:
Political, staff and stakeholder engagement
Staff and financial capacity
Embedding energy into local government plans and processes
Accompanied by an Implementation Readiness Survey

18. The Community Energy Implementation Framework
Answers questions such as…
How can communities make the case for community energy planning?
Who should lead CEP implementation?
How can you engage effectively with all stakeholders to maintain ongoing support for implementation?
How can the CEP be embedded into the budget?
What skills are needed to support implementation?
Who can you engage to secure staff and financial resources for implementation?
What council, staff and community-level governance structures are available to support implementation?
How can community energy be embedded into existing plans and policies?
What data and processes are needed to monitor and report on CEP implementation on an ongoing basis?

19. The Community Energy Implementation Readiness Survey
Self-assessment tool to evaluate readiness with respect to:
Community context
Staff and financial resources
Management/governance
Stakeholder engagement
The Community Energy Plan
It is accompanied by a Community Energy Implemntation Readiness Survey, which contains a series of factors that seem to affect the implementation of CEPs.
The Survey is a self-evaluation tool that illustrates to a community where its strengths and weakenesses lie with respect to being ready to foster an energy transition with a CEP.

20. Community Energy Planning Resources:
ECOP Resources
ECOP Module 2: Community Energy Planning within the Broader Provincial Energy Planning Framework
ECOP Module 3: Community Energy Plan Implementation
IESO Regional Planning Resources
QUEST Resources
Community Energy Planning:
Smart Energy Atlas:
The Community Energy Implementation Framework
framework.gettingtoimplementation.ca
Other Resources
CEP Case Studies: London, Burlington, Markham, Guelph
Turning Energy Inventories into Energy Dollars Inventories
These are additional resources that can be helpful in promoting and developing a successful CEP within your community.
For spreadsheet and tutorial for Turning Energy Inventories into Energy Dollars Inventories (send to Gabriella at