Sussex Partners with QUEST To Create Lower-Cost Renewable Energy
SUSSEX – The Town of Sussex’s adoption of a community energy plan is helping produce clean renewable energy while investing back into the town, creating jobs and attracting new industries.
The closure of Sussex’s potash mine in January 2016 resulted in the loss of 430 jobs, which compelled the town to consider ways it could move forward.
Scott Hatcher, Chief Administrative Officer with the Town of Sussex, says town staff had been investigating energy solutions over the last 20 years to lower costs and with a future aim to reinvest in the community and its residents.
“We had an opportunity as we looked and said, ‘Okay what next, how are we going to do this?’” said Hatcher. “Then we got involved with QUEST and looked at how we could be smarter about our energy consumption, build on what we’ve done and started 20 years ago and develop a corporate strategy as well as a community strategy.”
QUEST is a national non-government organization working to accelerate the adoption of efficient and integrated community-scale energy systems in Canada. It’s spearheading an implementation strategy as part of its Smart Energy Community Accelerator Program, which will build on the town’s Community Energy plan, completed in 2018.
Sussex is one of 10 small New Brunswick communities partnering with QUEST in its accelerator program.
One element of the plan is Sussex’s Geothermal Feasibility Study, which details how the closed potash mine being repurposed as a geothermal heat system would benefit the town.
“There are approximately three million cubic metres of warm water in the abandoned mine,” says Economic Development Consultant, Bill Thompson. “It’s warmed up to a temperature that has sufficient heat to provide the energy.”
Heating and cooling costs can be reduced between 45-55 percent at minimal cost through geothermal heating, he says, which appeals to businesses across several operations, from greenhouses to cold-storage facilities, in addition to many warehouses and distribution centres.
Sussex’s location is another advantage for a geothermal heat system. The town is near to natural gas and has rail service, connected to the four-lane highway, and situated between New Brunswick’s three major cities.
“We’ve just got to champion our location, our advantages and get that word out there and move us in a direction that we can look for new business opportunities within our region,” adds Hatcher.
Sussex’s facilities and policy documents are currently being reviewed in preparation for community engagement sessions in September.
Hatcher hopes Sussex can emulate Bridgewater, Nova Scotia’s model of corporate and communal energy reduction.
“Ultimately, all of the cost savings are reinvested in the community,” he said. “When people get more income, then they’ll spend more at home.”
This story was sponsored by QUEST.