For instance, the Revelstoke wood waste district energy system yields a guaranteed stream of non-taxable municipal revenue from the energy sales to a local sawmill and downtown buildings
Similarly, the Vancouver Landfill cogeneration (combined heat and power) facility is providing up to $310,000 in annual electricity revenues to the City of Vancouver and up to $110,000 annually in new tax revenue for the Corporation of Delta [link to Showcase].
In Victoria, the Capital Regional District receives a yearly royalty of at $250,000 or more from electricity generated at the Hartland Landfill gas utilization project. (1)
Note: (1) CRD (2005), Hartland Landfill Gas Utilization Project: Submission to the 2005 UBCM Community Excellence Awards, http://www.crd.bc.ca/es/sw/publications.htm.
Energy costs can be important to local governments, especially for smaller communities with more limited resources.
By designing energy efficient communities and supporting local renewable energy development?, a local government can reduce its energy expenditures and become less vulnerable to swings in imported fuel prices.
These savings can then go toward meeting the costs of other local services and help relieve taxpayer burden.
Submissions for the Energy Aware Awards have noted some significant reductions in energy consumption and significant cost savings:
| Community Project | Energy Savings |
| 2006 Award Submissions | |
| Kamloops green buildings | 2 buildings, $176,000 annual cost savings |
| Maple Ridge flee vehicles | $1,080 per vehicle annual fuel savings |
| Surrey building retrofits | Reductions of 44,457 gigajoules annually |
| Langley green building | $40,000 saved annually |
| 2003-2005 Submissions | |
| North Vancouver lonsdale energy (2005) | Annual savings of 230,000 gigajoules by 2010 |
| Burnaby building retrofits | $500,000 in annual energy savings |
| Revelstoke biomass energy | ~45,000 gigajoules displaced annually |
| White Rock operations building (2003) | 60% better than Model National Energy Code |
Examples from several studies demonstrate the dramatic economic development potential of local sustainable energy.
(1) Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development (1997), Comparative Analysis of Employment from Air Emission Reduction Measures, Report Prepared for Environment Canada. See estimates cited at http://www.pembina.org/media/media-release.php?id=1030
(2) Presentation by Adrian Hewitt, Climate Change Leader, London Borough of Merton at "Empowering the Community" workshop held in Vancouver, BC on April 25, 2007, co-hosted by Community Energy Association.
(3) CEA Toolkit, Volume 1.
(4) BCSEA [write out full name here] (2005), Sustainable Energy Solutions for BC, Prepared for the Alternative Energy & Power Technology Task Force, http://www.bcsea.org/policy/taskforcereport.asp
Reductions in non-energy capital and operating expenditures can be a bigger incentive for community energy investment than energy savings alone.
For example, the installation of low-flow showerheads not only lowers customers’ energy and water bills, but also means reduced requirements for new water supply and treatment infrastructure.
Likewise, green buildings are designed to save on building materials (through recycling and reuse), water, waste management, and other costs besides energy, as well as providing benefits such as improved comfort, aesthetics, and indoor air quality.
A study for a new development in Coquitlam found that an energy-efficient community design could deliver 30% less infrastructure capital and operating costs, a 5% reduction in total energy, and a 400% increase in local job opportunities.