We The Power Film Screening + OREC Discussion

Come watch the Patagonia Film We The Power and stay for a discussion hosted by the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative (OREC) to learn ways we can work toward a community-owned energy grid.

We The Power Film

Imagine upending the traditional energy system and giving the power of clean electricity production back to your neighbors. We the Power follows friends, families and visionaries as they break down legislative barriers and take power back from big energy companies to put in the hands of locals. The film chronicles local cooperatives from deep in Germany’s Black Forest to the streets of ancient Girona in Spain and the urban rooftops of London, England, as they pave the way for a renewable-energy revolution and build healthier, more financially stable communities.

Community Social

Come meet and chat with local community organizations to learn more and find ways to get involved. We will be joined by Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES), Electrify613, EnviroCentre, Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO), and the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative (OREC).

Community Partners:

CAFES (Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability) - Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) has been working since 2010 to help community associations in Ottawa share ideas and achieve common environmental goals by uniting our voices. With a strong inner urban base, the CAFES network has been expanding our membership into Ottawa’s suburban and rural areas. CAFES acts as a network between community associations and citizens who are working to promote environmental sustainability in our city and our neighbourhoods, sharing information on concerns, community events, best practices and research. CAFES monitors City Hall, making regular and well-received public delegations on issues of concern to our members. We have a solid advocacy record, scoring ‘wins’ such as strengthening the City’s Tree Protection Bylaw and getting the City to report annually on our greenhouse gas emissions.

Electrify613 - an online community for neighbours and experts to connect with each other in making our homes more efficient and emissions-free. We're on a mission to help fully electrify every neighbourhood in Ottawa.

EnviroCentre - an environmental not-for-profit organization located in Ottawa. For more than 20 years, we have been delivering programs and services designed to help individuals, businesses, and communities reduce their carbon emissions and lighten their impacts on the environment. EnviroCentre’s mission is to scope, design, deliver and scale practical solutions to dramatically reduce climate emissions in our communities. Our vision is that a sustainable, net-zero future is achieved in Ottawa, and we are taking action every day to support that goal.

We work in collaboration with partners and clients to implement meaningful projects and programs across Eastern Ontario. Some examples include home energy services such as Better Homes Ottawa, Home Energy Audit Services, Energy Affordability Programs, Future Homes Retrofit Accelerator, and community programs: Let’s Bike Ottawa, Rain Ready Ottawa, Ottawa School Active Transportation Program, Mini-Forests and tree planting projects, Demonstration Rain Gardens, and other Green Infrastructure projects.

We have a staff of just over 50 keen, committed, and professional people who dedicate each day to making our world a little cleaner and greener for generations to come!

EVCO (Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa) - Founded in 1982, EVCO is a non-profit, volunteer-run group of EV owners dedicated to promoting and advocating for the electrification of the transportation system. Mainly focused on light-duty vehicles, EVCO also works on the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles such as OC Transpo’s bus fleet.

Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative (OREC) - Energy generation has long been centralized, but the landscape is changing. Meet the Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative (OREC) and find out how community funded renewable energy allows individuals to benefit directly from the energy transition and brings more democracy and transparency to electricity generation. With a 14 year track record and a portfolio of 24 renewable energy and 3 energy efficiency projects (and growing), OREC strives to ensure locally funded renewable energy assets are an important piece of our journey away from fossil fuels. OREC raises capital through the sale of preference shares. This capital is pooled by the Co-operative to build new or acquire existing projects, bringing them under community ownership. Revenues from the sale of renewable energy or energy savings are returned to investors in the form of interest payments, dividends, and capital repayment. Through its projects, OREC provides partners, such as businesses, school boards, municipalities and Crown Corporations with predictable electricity prices, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and all at no upfront cost.

Join us whether you’re interested in a truly green investment from as little as $500, have partnership ideas, or want to find out how decentralized energy resources (DER) will transform our energy system for the better.