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CALGARY – The Government of Alberta and Natural Resources Canada are putting $50 million toward Emissions Reduction Alberta’s (ERA) new Strategic Energy Management for Industry (SEMI) program.

SEMI is intended to help program participants reduce energy costs while growing organizational skills and capacity building while helping cover the cost of capital retrofits, an ERA release said.

Federal Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz and ERA CEO Justin Reimer announced the funding on Oct. 16 at the Lafarge Exshaw Cement Plant west of Calgary, and the program was officially launched and open for applications as of Oct. 17.

“Alberta’s industrial facilities are essential to our economy, and they deserve the best programs to ensure their success. By investing in ERA’s SEMI program through the TIER fund, we are helping Alberta’s industrial facilities boost their bottom line and increase their competitiveness while promoting energy management for the benefit of all Albertans,” Schulz said.

“Improving the efficiency of industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities is the quickest, most cost-effective way to lower energy bills and stay competitive. But it takes knowledge, expertise, training and capital. With SEMI, Alberta companies now have even more opportunity to invest in energy- and cost-saving technologies, right here in the province,” Reimer added.

Eligible industrial sectors include agriculture, forestry, mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction, construction, manufacturing, transportation and waste management. Facilities must be owned or leased in Alberta and have operated for at least one year, the release said.

Participating organizations will receive an analysis of their energy use and recommendations for services to improve their energy management including support for strategic energy management programming, implementing energy management information systems, and capital retrofits, the release added.

All participants are required to first undergo a Facility Readiness Assessment.

An application guide and a link to submitting an expression of interest to SEMI is .