Climate Change Programs and Tools

Oil to Electric Fuel Switching Program

Are you a homeowner who uses oil to heat your home? Great news! With the NEW Oil to Electric Incentive Program, qualified homeowners can receive an incentive up to $22,000* to help transition their homes from oil to electricity-based heat.

Over 90% of the electricity in Newfoundland and Labrador comes from clean, renewable sources. By switching to an electric heat source, you support a greener future for our province.

We are now accepting applications! We recommend that you complete the application checklist to make sure you have everything you need to get started.

The NEW Oil to Electric Incentive Program is for whole home heating, and is retroactive to April 1, 2023. Requirements have been modified from previous programs, so please review program eligibility carefully. Customers are required to use a participating installer to be eligible for an incentive. Incentives are paid directly to the installer. You’ll find more information about the Oil to Electric Incentive Program below. Still have questions? Email OiltoElectric@TakeChargeNL.ca or call your utility:
Newfoundland Power 1-800-663-2802 or Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro 1-888-737-1296.

This program is delivered through takeCHARGE in partnership with the Federal and Provincial Governments.

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Electric Vehicle Incentive Program

Are you considering an all-electric vehicle? With our EV Rebate Program, now you can save $2,500 on the purchase or lease of a 100% all-electric vehicle and $1,500 for a plug-in hybrid. That means you can save up to $7,500 when you combine our rebate with current federal incentives for the purchase of a new EV.

Youʼll feel great driving an EV, knowing that you are contributing to a greener future for Newfoundland and Labrador. Youʼll feel even better knowing that the majority of the electricity used to charge your vehicle comes from our provinceʼs clean, renewable energy sources. And, electricity is cleaner and cheaper than gas. A 400 km road trip in your EV would cost less than $10 at todayʼs electricity rates if you charged at home!

Get your rebate and hit the road!

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CLIMAtlantic Climate Services

CLIMAtlantic facilitates access to data and information that supports adaptation to climate change in Atlantic Canada through collaboration, networking, and partnerships.

As awareness of climate change grows, so does the demand for climate services. Accurate data supports decisions to reduce the impacts of climate change. Our focus is on creating a strong network, generating a wealth of information sharing amongst colleagues, in addition to supporting specific place-based work.

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Flood Risk Mapping Studies

Flood Risk mapping in Newfoundland and Labrador delineates the floodway as zones where floods have a return period of 20 years (5% chance in any year) and the flood fringe where the risk of flooding is once in 100 years (1% chance in any year). Flood risk areas have been mapped for 38 communities in the Province. These maps are used for public information, municipal planning, development control, and the setting of structural design criteria. All proposed developments in flood risk zones are evaluated against potential impacts on water resources, the structures themselves, and the surrounding areas.

To help support climate change adaptation, these flood risk mapping studies are being updated and new ones undertaken using climate change projections. This initiative is important for public safety and information, municipal and development planning, setting of structural design criteria, and flood response. This mapping will assist in regulating new developments in flood-prone areas, help minimize flood damage to properties and the environment, and restrict activities that could degrade water resources. A brochure is available outlining Government’s New Template for Climate Change Flood Risk Mapping (331 KB).

For more information about Flood Risk Mapping: https://www.mae.gov.nl.ca/waterres/flooding/frm.html

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Hurricane Season Flood Alert System (HSFAS)

Floods, public safety and climate change are integrally linked. Due to climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events such as hurricanes that result in flooding is expected to increase. Climate change altered precipitation patterns will result in new communities experiencing regular floods and communities with existing flooding issues experiencing more intense and extensive flooding incidents.

The Hurricane Season Flood Alert System (HSFAS) is based on forecasted precipitation amounts and seeks to provide communities with flood warning services as a key climate change adaptation and public safety tool.

Alerts are provided to communities that have Flood Risk Mapping Studies (FRMS) or have published intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves from which precipitation based flood triggers can be derived. The HSFAS is to help communities in the province prepare for storms and avoid future high-cost expenditures in repairs and damages.

The HSFAS is operational during the peak hurricane months of June to December.

For more information about HSFAS: https://www.mae.gov.nl.ca/waterres/flooding/hurricane.html#system

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Municipal Tools

Communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as those across Atlantic Canada, are vulnerable to climate change and need to prepare for projected impacts. An important first step for communities is to assess how, where, and to what extent they are vulnerable to these impacts.

With funding from the Natural Resources Canada Regional Adaptation Collaborative Program, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, in partnership with Memorial University of Newfoundland and Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, developed a step-by-step guide to help communities assess their vulnerability to climate change.

This climate change vulnerability assessment tool, 7 Steps to Assess Climate Change Vulnerability in Your Community was adapted from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and was piloted in six Newfoundland and Labrador communities. The tool is designed for communities with limited resources and does not require any technical expertise to use. This tool can serve as a guide for community leaders and decision makers, providing a means for a quick analysis of local climate change impacts and possible adaptation options.

Municipalities NL and the Professional Municipal Administrators, with funding assistance from the Department of Environment and Climate Change, developed a municipal infrastructure training tool. The tool, Managing Municipal Infrastructure in a Changing Climate, is used as a training tool to help municipal staff manage and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

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Incorporating Climate Change into Public Infrastructure Planning and Design

In spring, 2018, a two-day workshop was held in St. John’s, NL, on Incorporating Climate Change into Public Infrastructure Planning and Design. The workshop content has been developed into 10 online modules, which are available online, free of charge.

The modules aim to increase understanding of climate change in Newfoundland and Labrador and the potential implications for infrastructure planning and development. This includes enhance professionals understanding of the following:

  • The legal, policy, scientific and ethical imperative and rationale for action to integrate climate considerations into design and construction of infrastructure and planning;
  • The basics of climate change science, how the province is being impacted by climate change, and the implications for infrastructure;
  • How climate change information is produced, and how to apply it to planning and design practices; and
  • Existing tools and resources are available to support their work, including resources developed specifically for Newfoundland and Labrador.

The modules are delivered by leading professionals in their field, and include the following presentations:

  1. Introduction (David Lapp, P. Eng., Practice Lead, Engineers Canada)
  2. Legal framework for climate adaptation (Ryan Zizzo, P.Eng., Technical Director, Zizzo Strategy Inc.)
  3. Policy and planning landscape (Gerald Crane, Director of Research and Analysis, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Dr. Richard Harvey, P.Eng., Senior Hydrotechnical Engineer, Wood Group)
  4. Understanding the science of climate change and projections (Dr. Joel Finnis, Associate Professor and Climatologist, Memorial University)
  5. Uncertainty and application of climate projections in infrastructure design (Dr. Joe Daraio, P.Eng., Assostant Professor, Memorial University)
  6. Provincial data, tools and resources to improve decision making (Gerald Crane, Director of Research and Analysis, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)
  7. Climate projections and impacts (Coming Soon: Dr. Joel Finnis, Associate Professor and Climatologist, Memorial University)
  8. Coastal erosion and monitoring program (Melanie Irvine, Project Geologist, Geological Survey Newfoundland and Labrador)
  9. Climate change flood risk mapping (Dr. Ali Khan, P.Eng., Manager of Water Rights, Investigations and Modelling, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)
  10. Principles of asset management, risk assessment and the PIEVC protocol (David Lapp, P.Eng., Practice Lead, Engineers Canada)
  11. Case studies and examples of integrating climate change into infrastructure (Peter Nimmrichter, P.Eng., Lead for Canadian Climate, Resilience and Sustainability Services, Wood Group)

The modules, presenter biographies, and interactive knowledge tests are all available online. There is no fee to access the modules; however, you will be required to set up an account. This is a quick process and only requires providing an email address and creating a password.

Click here to access the training modules.

Online modules are eligible for continuing professional development hours recognized by Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland &amp Labrador (PEGNL) and potentially other professional bodies. Those interested, should check with their respective professional body to confirm this. This is part of a 3-year, collaborative projected on Building Climate Resilience, with Memorial University, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Professional Engineers and Geo-scientists Newfoundland and Labrador, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and Engineers Canada. This project is also supported by funding from Natural Resources Canada.

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