Medicine Hat’s energy sustainability department has been working on a number of strategies to help move their city towards success in the post carbon economy.
The City of Medicine Hat’s energy sustainability manager, Russ Smith addressed the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA) last Thursday with a message titled, “Has Medicine Hat’s Energy Sustainability Policy Left Lethbridge Behind?”

Smith highlighted programs such as HAT smart; a program designed to promote and encourage residential and commercial changes to the way the city consumes energy. This program is promoted through brochures and seminars to educate people.
Smith says nearly 10 per cent of the Medicine Hat population has attended a HAT smart seminar.
“Our primary driver is people calling and complaining about utility bills,” says Smith, pointing out that the calls lead to a conversation that enlightens people to take energy efficiency into their own hands.
 Smith points out that like other places ‘The Gas City’ has an addiction referring to irresponsible use of available energy.
The HAT smart initiative hopes to decrease per capita consumption of non-renewable energy by 20 per cent by 2010.
Smith highlighted Medicine Hat’s goals towards sources that would provide community incentives. The Box Springs Wind Farm would, “result in a Green premium on people’s utility bills.”
According to Smith, Solar Energy is an investment that has the potential to displace natural gas by use of the sun.
Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage is a direct cooling and heating system used to store heat in the summer and release heat in the winter, which, “results in the displacement of fossil fuel used in a residential family unit,” says Smith.
Residential incentives are being used to encourage the switch to some of these energy saving strategies and to encourage citizens to, “be a leader in the community and show what is possible,” says Smith.
“We are trying to encourage industrial consumers to change their ways and show leadership in the community.”
Smith gave recognition to Lethbridge for their efforts towards wind energy training and education, specifically at the Lethbridge College. “Medicine Hat could learn a lot from the excellent training in the Lethbridge area.”
“There is great opportunity to expand the energy portfolio of Southern Alberta,” says Smith, making reference to the harsh perspective of the Alberta Oil Sands. “What is happening up north paints Alberta in a pretty unfair light but Southern Alberta has so much potential to change that.”
For more information on HAT smart visit www.hatsmart.ca.
To listen to audio from this session visit www.sacpa.ca.