For Immediate Release
April 24, 2018

The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) is welcoming a government commitment to develop a renewable energy plan for the province. The commitment was made as part of the province’s Way Forward announcement this afternoon.

“We are very pleased that the province is recognizing the economic development potential that renewable energy presents for Newfoundland and Labrador” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director.

Hanley said that supporting the pursuit of renewable energy technologies, from offshore wind to tidal energy, can help drive innovation and business growth in the province. “We have enormous resources that have gone untapped here in Newfoundland and Labrador; there is interest in their development from the private sector, but industry needs government’s assistance to break down barriers to development.” As such, Hanley says NEIA is delighted with government’s commitment to work together with stakeholders towards a plan.

“An effective renewable energy plan has the potential to increase competitiveness at the individual firm-level, complement the activities of and provide new opportunities for firms working within our existing energy sectors, and also open the door to new industrial development,” Hanley said. “We are excited to contribute what we can to the creation of the plan.’

Support for clean technology

The Way Forward: Building Our Future also committed to working with partners to find opportunities to develop and deploy clean technologies.

“The prospects for clean technology development are significant,” said Hanley, noting recent reports predict that the global market for clean technologies is forecast to grow to $2.5 trillion by 2022, more than doubling its size from 2011.

“Natural resource industries have been identified consistently as a possible competitive advantage for Canada in clean technology development,” said Hanley. “There is a real opportunity for us to leverage our expertise in our key industries here in Newfoundland and Labrador – such as oil and gas, mining, aquaculture, and forestry – and apply it from the perspective of clean growth.” Hanley said this approach will not only contribute to a more sustainable future for industries key to the provincial economy, “but also help grow business and create jobs through the export of these solutions… in what are global industries.”

Hanley says it makes sense for the province to identify clean technology as a priority, given that it is a top focus of the federal government. “NEIA has ideas on how we as a province can make the most of federal investments in clean technology, and we would welcome an opportunity to share those with decision-makers.”

The Way Forward: Building Our Future document can be viewed here.

NEIA is a not-for-profit association of businesses that promotes the development of clean technology and the growth of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. NEIA has over 200 members. More information can be found at www.neia.org.

Media Contact
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org

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