Item - 2018.PG29.8

The Planning and Growth Management Committee:

1. Endorsed the Downtown Energy Strategy attached as Attachment 1 to the report (April 17, 2018) from the Director, Environment and Energy and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to guide implementation of the Downtown Plan.

2. Directed the Director, Environment and Energy to consult with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Toronto Water, the General Manager Parks, Forestry and Recreation, the General Manager, Transportation Services, the Director, Major Capital Coordination Office, and agencies including CreateTO, Toronto Hydro, Enbridge and Enwave Energy Corporation on implementation of the Energy Strategy.

3. Directed the Director, Environment and Energy and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to use the Downtown Energy Strategy to review development applications, including the Energy Strategy Report, within the Downtown Plan area.

This report recommends endorsement of the Downtown Energy Strategy (the Strategy) to guide implementation of the Downtown Plan. The purpose of the Strategy is to set out a series of actions that will achieve reductions in overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, address constraints within the electricity distribution grid and enhance resilience to area-wide power outages.

Downtown is Canada's largest employment cluster with over 500,000 jobs, relying on Union Station, the subway system and the surface transit network to provide access to a city-wide and regional workforce. Close to 240,000 people live Downtown, with more than 7,500 residents added annually over the past 5 years. The Downtown and the South of Eastern and Liberty Village areas have the potential to reach between 850,000 and 915,000 jobs by 2041.

This growth and intensification may result in increased greenhouse gas emissions and growing electricity demand in the face of constrained supply. Increasing frequency of extreme weather events, compounded by stressed electricity infrastructure and the predominance of high-rise residential buildings where residents rely on electricity for essential services, demands preparations for power outages.

The Downtown Energy Strategy addresses the energy and related resilience needs within a growing Downtown, encompassing the 17-square kilometre area from Bathurst Street to the Don River and from the waterfront to the CP rail corridor/Rosedale Valley Road.

The Energy Strategy contains a series of transformative ideas and immediate and long-term actions. These include working with energy developers to develop local renewable energy solutions and establish new low carbon thermal energy networks. The actions also address promoting residential building retrofits, encouraging developers to achieve near-zero emissions buildings and preparing design guidelines for low-carbon thermal energy ready buildings. Developers will be encouraged to include back-up power for multi-unit high rise residential buildings and to salvage and reuse materials. The Downtown Energy Strategy also serves to align the Downtown Plan with TransformTO, the City’s climate action plan and the Toronto Green Standard.

Moving forward, Environment and Energy will work collaboratively with other City division and agencies, Toronto Hydro and energy providers and energy developers to advance implementation of the Strategy. The Downtown Energy Strategy's actions will be addressed comprehensively through TransformTO and reported out to City Council as appropriate.  The implementation of the Strategy's actions will be largely addressed through application of the Toronto Green Standard and Energy Strategy reports submitted as part of the planning approval process.  City staff will begin using the Strategy to review development applications, including the Energy Strategy Report provided by applicants.