Sayyeda Masood

Founded by the Climate Positive Energy institutional strategic initiative, the Grid Modernization Centre will help accelerate integration of novel green technologies

The ��Ƶ has received $10-million in federal funding in support of the Grid Modernization Centre, a state-of-the-art facility in Toronto’s Downsview area that aims to accelerate progress towards a decarbonized, decentralized and digitalized power system for Canada.

Founded by Climate Positive Energy, a U of T institutional strategic initiative, the centre will serve as a hub that provides utilities, regulators, municipalities and enterprises with the equipment and expertise needed to test, develop and commercialize a range of green technologies.

The Government of Canada announced the investment – which includes $5 million apiece from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and Natural Resources Canada – at U of T's Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship on Friday, July 26.

“On behalf of the ��Ƶ, we thank FedDev Ontario and Natural Resources Canada for their $10-million investment in the Grid Modernization Centre,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “By convening stakeholders across the electricity ecosystem, Climate Positive Energy and their partners will help ensure the electrical grid remains safe and reliable, while supporting the development of clean technologies and jobs.”

Leah Cowen (left), U of T's vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, was joined by Ya'ara Saks (centre), minister of mental health and addictions, and Julie Dabrusin (right), parliamentary secretary to the minister of the environment, at the $10-million funding announcement for U of T's Grid Modernization Centre (photo by Liz Beddall)

The first facility of its kind in Canada, the Grid Modernization Centre will foster innovations pertinent to electricity demand, which is estimated to double in the next 30 years according to Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator.

“Through initiatives such as the Grid Modernization Centre here at U of T, we are collaborating to unlock a brighter future for our energy systems on the path to net-zero,” said Julie Dabrusin, parliamentary secretary to the minister for environment and climate change and the minister of energy and natural resources.

“By supporting advancements in clean energy technologies, we are not only protecting our environment but also positioning Canada at the forefront of the clean energy revolution,” said Ya’ara Saks, minister of mental health and addictions and MP for York Centre, who attended the announcement on behalf of Filomena Tassi, the minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.

Ya'ara Saks and Julie Dabrusin speak with Associate Professor Ali Hooshyar during a tour of the Centre for Applied Power Electronics (photo by Liz Beddall)

Ontario’s existing grid faces a number of challenges, including extreme weather events, the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and concerns around capacity, reliability, and security.

To address these challenges, the Grid Modernization Centre will enable an array of green technologies – from electric vehicle charging stations to battery energy storage systems – to be tested and refined before they are integrated with the grid.

It will also provide training opportunities for students and thought leadership on policy, regulatory and climate financing models.

Prior to Friday’s announcement, MP Saks and Parliamentary Secretary Dabrusin enjoyed a tour of the Centre for Applied Power Electronics led by Ali Hooshyar, associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Electric Power Systems in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. The centre specializes in research and development around electric power systems in areas such as integration of renewable resources into power grids and energy storage and distribution in microgrids.

(L-R) Chris Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, and Deepa Kundur, chair of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering, said the Grid Modernization Centre will help address crucial challenges around sustainable energy (photo by Liz Beddall)

Professor and chair of the department Deepa Kundur hailed the Grid Modernization Centre as a “crucial step” toward a safer and more sustainable society. "At ECE, we actively contribute to the technological landscape by addressing challenges in vehicle electrification, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. This new centre represents U of T's proactive response to society's energy needs, and I'm thrilled about its potential impact,” Kundur said.

Professor Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, described the clean energy transition as arguably the most important shift facing companies and communities today. “U of T has responded to this challenge by developing the Grid Modernization Centre," Yip said.

"Today’s investment is key in supporting the centre and propelling us towards a reliable, resilient and sustainable electricity grid that will power a clean energy future for generations.”

Read the Climate Positive Energy story

U of T's Climate Positive Energy initiative to partner with City of Toronto on youth-led leadership in climate action

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 21:54:06 +0000

U of T's Climate Positive Energy initiative to partner with City of Toronto on youth-led leadership in climate action

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 03/03/2023 - 16:54

Cutline

Youth march in downtown Toronto in 2019 during a Fridays for Future demonstration to raise awareness of the climate change issues (photo by Shawn Goldberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

Sayyeda Masood

Topic

Our Community

Climate Positive Energy Initiative

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Cities

Sustainability

U of T Scarborough

The Climate Positive Energy initiative, an Institutional Strategic Initiative at the ��Ƶ, is partnering with the City of Toronto’s Environment and Climate Division to lead the development of a city-wide youth engagement strategy.

The work will enable youth-led leadership with an equity lens in climate action in Toronto, supporting the implementation of the city’s TransformTO Net Zero Climate Action Strategy.

Shatha Qaqish-Clavering

The TransformTO strategy outlines a pathway to achieve net-zero emissions in Toronto by 2040. As part of the research and development of TransformTO, it was identified that the creation and implementation of a youth-specific engagement strategy is critical to the adoption of the city-wide actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our youth are the inheritors of a changing planet,” said Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, director of strategy and operations at Climate Positive Energy. “By engaging them in the creation and implementation of climate action strategies, we empower them to shape a better future for themselves and generations to come.

“Their energy, creativity, and drive can make all the difference in accelerating progress towards our net-zero goals.”

The City of Toronto and Climate Positive Energy will work collaboratively to support the development of a strategy that:

Considers an anti-oppression equity lens that prioritizes equity-deserving communities, reconciliation, and accessibility while building meaningful partnerships
Is framed around positive change and opportunities for a better future, being mindful of climate anxiety and youth mental health
Will inform the formation of a city-wide youth-academic partnership hub and support future climate action youth-led pilot projects; and
Will be co-designed and developed with youth representatives

The four-phase project will see the research team complete a jurisdictional scan and review of relevant best-practices to inform the approach for a city-wide youth climate action strategy. Once this phase is completed, a co-design with key youth-led or youth focused organizations will be developed, followed by a city-wide consultation process utilizing identified support options to inform the youth engagement strategy. The results of the research and consultations will be presented in a written report, which is expected to be completed next year. The report will continue to inform key recommendations for youth climate action engagement in Toronto.

The project team is composed of eight researchers from U of T led by principal investigator Laura Tozer, an assistant professor in the department of physical and environmental sciences at U of T Scarborough. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from seven different departments and divisions will be working with Tozer on this project.

“We’re looking forward to working with young people from across the City of Toronto to understand how climate action matters in their lives and what their visions are for a zero carbon Toronto,” said Tozer. “Young people are already a driving force for climate action. This project is about empowering youth engagement in climate action to accelerate it while also addressing inequalities in our city.”

“Our partnership with the ��Ƶ on the development of a youth engagement strategy is a key part of our city-wide climate action engagement work,” added James Nowlan, executive director, environment and climate at the City of Toronto. “We look forward to our collaboration on this important work and to creating a prosperous, equitable, low-carbon city that works for everyone.”