Natural Gas Innovation Fund Announced

OTTAWA, Oct. 19, 2016  – The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) today announced the intention to create the Natural Gas Innovation Fund™ (NGIF) to support research, demonstration and deployment of innovation in the natural gas value chain.

Investing in innovation in the natural gas sector is essential to create a pathway to greenhouse gas emissions reductions that is both affordable and reliable.

Natural gas utilities have a long history of working in partnerships to drive innovation.

The Natural Gas Innovation Fund™ will build on that history, bringing utilities, government, academia, incubators, accelerators, and technology developers in the natural gas value chain to support natural gas innovation and reduce emissions, drive energy efficiency, and ensure the availability of affordable energy for customers.

Natural gas is an affordable, clean, safe, and reliable energy choice for Canadian consumers and investments made through this fund will build on the value proposition of that choice,” said Timothy M. Egan, President and CEO,  Canadian Gas Association.

A key priority for NGIF will be to find ways to access monies collected from natural gas ratepayers from cap and trade, carbon tax or other emission reduction mechanisms instituted by governments, and direct those monies to the financing of innovation in the use of gas.

In this way rate payers will have the levies they pay directed back to them – ensuring the continued availability of clean and affordable energy for their needs.

The Natural Gas Innovation Fund™ will consider support for a range of investment opportunities including:

• Technologies for homes and buildings such as high efficiency water heaters, natural gas heat pumps, micro-combined heat and power (CHP), and condensing roof-top heaters;
• Technologies to support natural gas use as a clean and affordable alternative transportation fuel such as high horsepower engines for on and off road transportation, and home refueling compressed natural gas kits;
• Technologies that help reduce the emission profile of gas use such as renewable natural gas (RNG), power-to-gas systems (integrating gas and electric renewables), and smart CO₂ recovery and use technologies; and

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) technology applications such as small scale LNG production for remote community and industrial energy needs as a substitute for higher-emitting and more costly alternatives.