As Canadians use more and more energy to power their labour-saving and entertainment devices, it is obvious that we owe it to ourselves to conserve our precious energy resources.

Federal Minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn met with his counterparts from the United States and Mexico at the end of July to endorse the first-ever trilateral agreement to enhance North American energy security and environmental protection. This North American agreement flows from the consensus reached by Prime Minister Stephen Harper with the Presidents of Mexico and the United States in March 2006.

Our three countries have succeeded in introducing initiatives for energy science and technology, energy efficiency, deployment of clean energy technologies and other cooperative projects. The agreement will align energy efficiency standards on key consumer products that include refrigerators, air conditioners and large electric motors. We have officially embarked on an important journey to curb the upward trend in wasteful electricity consumption.

I believe there is a good case for examining the possibility of waiving provincial and federal point-of-sale taxes for approved appliances that save energy. This could encourage consumers to target these items and upgrade outdated appliances that use more energy than necessary. Homeowners will continue to save money on these products through future electricity bills.

Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are poised for increased cooperation on research and development projects. This will result in a North American effort to encourage new technologies that relate to biofuels, gas hydrates, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, clean coal and electricity transmission.

To increase energy efficiency, we can expect trilateral cooperation on motor vehicle fuels and reducing “standby power” consumption. Standby power refers to electricity consumed by common household products like televisions, CD players, microwaves and computers when they are not actually turned on. Many electrical products pull a constant trickle of power when they are on standby, and a trilateral workshop in Mexico City next months will explore possible joint approaches to address the waste.

Minister Lunn notes that if standby power was limited to one watt, the average family would save at least $35 a year on its electricity bill. To take advantage of the saving from the “one-watt initiative,” consumers will need to replace these products over time. Minister Lunn plans to encourage his North American counterparts to adopt this standby power standard. For our part, the federal government plans to introduce regulations for standby power standards in consumer electronic devices in 2008, followed by more stringent energy-saving standards in 2010.

In the meantime, I encourage everyone at home in Yorkton-Melville to check their energy consumption to save money and the environment at the same time.

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