The Clean Energy Improvement Program works with municipalities across Alberta to design and deliver this affordable, flexible and streamlined approach to financing.
Flexible financing
Alberta’s Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) provides municipalities the opportunity to offer competitive financing to property owners for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades. CEIP covers up to 100 per cent of project costs and offers convenient repayment through property owners’ regular property tax bill.
What makes CEIP different from all other financing options available in the market is that the project financing is attached to the property, not the property owner. If the property is sold, the new owner assumes responsibility for repayment, while also enjoying the benefits of the upgrade. CEIP project financing can be repaid at any time. Interest rates and terms are set by each participating municipality.
Keeping PACE
This innovative financing approach, also known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), is garnering successful results in municipalities across Canada.
Why should your municipality participate?
Reduce barriers
CEIP makes energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades more attainable to property owners by addressing upfront cost barriers.
Boost job opportunities
Support local energy efficiency and renewable energy contractors.
Sustainability
Demonstrate your municipality’s commitment to sustainability and economic growth by making it easy for your residents and businesses to make energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to their property.
Flexible financing
Give property owners in your municipality access to flexible, long-term financing that can cover up to 100% of project costs, with terms up to 25 years. Convenient repayment is made through an added charge on the property owners’ tax bills.
Tip: CEIP participants are encouraged to take advantage of municipal, federal, or any other rebates and energy efficiency or renewable energy program incentives.
How CEIP Works
Step 1
The municipality passes a CEIP bylaw and secures the capital required to finance CEIP projects.
Step 2
Once the program is in market, property owners install eligible upgrades and Alberta Municipalities verifies the project is complete.
Step 3
Once verified, the municipality transfers funds to Alberta Municipalities to pay Qualified Contractors for completed work.
Step 4
Property owners repay the municipality for the cost of the project through a Clean Energy Improvement charge on their regular property tax bill.
Enable CEIP in your community
Download the Municipality Handout. It’s a quick, shareable guide that can be included in bylaw packages or provided to municipal staff to help build awareness.
Road to CEIP
Below are the key steps to enable CEIP in your community. Alberta Municipalities provides technical support each step of the way.
- Build a business case for CEIP in your municipality.
- Explore where your municipality may source capital for the program (e.g., local bank, Federation of Canadian Municipalities).
- Draft and pass the bylaw needed to enable CEIP in your municipality (required under provincial legislation).
- Finalize program design and contractor onboarding.
- Market the program to potential participants and launch program.
Once the program is in market, Alberta Municipalities leads core implementation tasks, including application and payment processing, website management, participant and contractor customer service, contractor onboarding, and marketing and engagement. Alberta Municipalities also manages quality assurance processes and program reporting requirements. Municipalities are responsible for overseeing repayment of the charge and collaborating with Alberta Municipalities on the marketing plan and execution, and approval of applications.
Support for municipal staff
As the program administrator, Alberta Municipalities is the central hub for municipalities, contractors, and property owners participating in CEIP. Alberta Municipalities supports municipalities in the program with:
- Business case development
- Bylaw development
- Design and development of terms and conditions that are unique for your municipality
Program capitalization
Municipalities are responsible for sourcing the capital to finance CEIP projects. Sources of capital may include borrowing from a financial institution (e.g., local bank or credit union) or borrowing through another lending organization, such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. When evaluating options, municipalities should consider the flexibility of the terms of the borrowing, the interest rate, and any additional costs.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is administering the Community Efficiency Financing program (CEF). The program provides low-interest loans and grants to municipalities that are launching residential efficiency financing programs, such as CEIP. Alberta Municipalities provides technical application support to municipalities applying to CEF.
CEIP development in Alberta
- The Town of Devon passed a CEIP bylaw on November 25, 2019.
- The Town of Rocky Mountain House passed a CEIP bylaw on December 3, 2019.
- The Town of Canmore passed a CEIP bylaw on December 4, 2020.
- The City of Leduc passed a CEIP bylaw on April 12, 2021.
- The Town of Okotoks passed a CEIP bylaw on May 10, 2021.
- The City of St. Albert passed a CEIP bylaw on May 17, 2021.
- The City of Lethbridge passed a CEIP bylaw on August 10, 2021.
- The City of Edmonton passed a CEIP bylaw on August 19, 2021.
- The Town of Athabasca passed a CEIP bylaw on August 21, 2021.
- The City of Grande Prairie passed a CEIP bylaw on August 23, 2021.
- The Town of Drayton Valley passed a CEIP bylaw on September 15, 2021.
- The City of Calgary passed a CEIP bylaw on December 6, 2021.
- The Village of Stirling passed a CEIP bylaw on April 6, 2022.
- Sturgeon County passed a CEIP bylaw on April 12, 2022.
- The Town of Westlock passed a CEIP bylaw on April 28, 2022.
- Strathcona County passed a CEIP bylaw on July 5, 2022.
Active CEIPs in Alberta
- The Town of Rocky Mountain House launched their CEIP program on November 4, 2021.
- The Town of Devon launched their CEIP program on January 19, 2022.
- The City of Edmonton launched their residential CEIP program on March 29, 2022.
- The City of Leduc launched their residential CEIP program on May 30, 2022.
- The City of Edmonton launched their commercial program on June 7, 2022.
Still have questions? Join a CEIP 101 webinar
CEIP 101 webinars are held regularly to walk municipal staff and officials through the basics of the program and how to implement it in their Alberta municipality.
If you would like to attend a CEIP 101 session, please send us an email at hello@myceip.ca. We will let you know when the next session is scheduled and the registration details.
Join our CEIP Community of Practice
The CEIP Community of Practice (COP) is a group of municipalities engaged in sharing best practices, co-developing materials and tools, and facilitating connections between municipalities.
The CEIP COP meets twice a year. All municipalities across Alberta are welcome to join the CEIP COP. Please email hello@myceip.ca to express your interest in joining.