Saint John Energy (SJE) continues to move toward its ambitions to reach net zero by 2030.

$2,568,750 in federal funding will go towards the Utility of the Future and its Zero30 action plan.

The announcement was made on behalf of the Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Gudie Hutchings.

“We’re grateful to ACOA for this strategic support, which is propelling forward our work on Zero30 and the Utility of the Future. With its partnership and belief in our innovative mission we are creating a cleaner energy future for Saint John,” says President and CEO of Saint John Energy, Ryan Mitchell.

Mitchell also says clean energy is one of the lowest-cost options going into the future.

“Folks that have both a strong climate conscience as well as an economic conscience I think will be lining up around supporting green energy in the transition.”

SJE has also agreed with British software firm Kraken Technologies to help advance the adoption of low-carbon technologies.

Kraken officials stated their operating system helps world-leading businesses across the energy industry do everything from managing and optimizing energy resources to delivering customer experiences at a lower cost.

Vice President of Customer Success across North America Lily Stein says Kraken is a global service helping  14 countries, and this is the first time they are associated with a Canadian-based company, calling it a natural partnership and praising Saint John for adapting to clean energy.

In addition to the partnership with Kraken, SJE officials say the ACOA funding allows Saint John Energy to implement other enhancements to its utility operating system and to develop a “digital twin” of its grid infrastructure to foster greater innovation. More details about the digital twin project will be announced later.