Canadian gas group seeks changes to federal home retrofit plan

The Canadian Gas Association (CGA), which represents the country’s natural gas distribution sector, said June 2 it had sent an open letter to Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau asking for amendments to his government’s Canada Greener Homes Grant (CGHG).

In his letter, CGA CEO Timothy Egan says the CGHG program “fails to offer choice to Canadians in their energy options” in the eligibility criteria for grants for Canadians to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes.

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As currently structured, the CGHG eligibility criteria exclude any technology using natural gas or gaseous infrastructure, even though no changes are required to natural gas appliances for them to use net-zero renewable natural gas (RNG). And minimal or no modifications are required for gas appliances to burn natural gas-hydrogen blends.

“As drafted, the criteria in the program signal to Canadians that the federal government is mandating the use of electricity systems and will offer taxpayer dollars to help citizens invest in electric technologies – technologies that will mean dependence on the electric system to the exclusion of other systems, despite the fact that the electric system is less reliable and usually more expensive,” Egan said in his letter.

The full text of the CGA letter is available here.