Edmonton’s City Council vote to close the Edmonton City Centre Airport and set the vision to make sure the site is redeveloped into a leading, sustainable community.

City Council approves the vision for Blatchford: “Blatchford will be home to up to 30,000 Edmontonians living, working and learning in a sustainable community that uses 100% renewable energy, is carbon neutral, significantly reduces its ecological footprint, and empowers residents to pursue a range of sustainable lifestyle choices.”

The last plane flies out of the site at the very end of 2013. Now that the airport is closed, the work to get the site ready for construction can begin.

City Council approve the business case that will guide the development of the community. In partnership with leading industry consultants, the City of Edmonton continue to evaluate options for energy systems that could help to achieve the community’s vision.

After City Council approves the utility business plan, the City of Edmonton moves forward with building the business case and framework for the creation of Blatchford Renewable Energy, including the utility’s governance model, bylaws and fiscal policy. Work also begins to design the first phase of the District Energy Sharing System.

Blatchford Renewable Energy starts and finishes construction on two parts of the system – installing the network of piping under the roadways for the first stage of the community and building the first geoexchange field. Construction also begins on the first community energy centre.

Blatchford Renewable Energy completes the construction of the first energy centre and has an operational system.

Blatchford Renewable Energy starts to provide service to our first customers!

Construction of community district energy infrastructure continues, Blatchford Renewable Energy welcomes more customers, and the District Energy Sharing System wins numerous national and international awards!

Planning and design work begins for a Sewer Heat Exchange system that  will use heat from wastewater as another source of renewable energy for the District Energy Sharing System.

Over 100 homes in Blatchford are now connected to the utility! A second heat pump installed in Energy Centre One increases renewable energy capacity to support the community’s continued growth.

A $23.7M grant was secured from the Government of Canada to support the addition of 13.1 MW of heating and 12.3 MW cooling capacity to the District Energy Sharing System. This work will include the installation of a second heat pump to increase heating and cooling capacity, the extension of the distribution piping network and the design and construction of the new Sewer Heat Exchange Energy Centre.