12 | City of Lacombe
pleted in phases to mitigate impact.
Other plans are coming to fruition
in solid waste management. MacQuar-
rie says this is anticipated to result in
increased recycling as homeowners will
be provided with receptacles thereby
eliminating the need to venture to a cen-
tral depot which will continue to collect
materials. She says enhancing the level
of recycling will lead to decreases in the
amount of waste directed to the area land-
fill.
Another plan, a first of its kind inAlber-
ta, will see Lacombe benefit more directly
from energy usage. To put that in context,
MacQuarrie explains that when residents
and business alike pay their utility bills,
the provider collects those fees and the
money is directed out of the community.
Under the auspices of a new model, the
city will establish what MacQuarrie calls
“an electricity retail arm.” The city is in-
corporating what will be known as “Echo
Energy” whose function will involve
marketing and customer acquisition. The
City partnered with Utilitynet who will
provide backend operations including the
billing and processing of accounts. Util-
ity fees will be competitive, but to add to
the advantages, a portion of the proceeds
will be directed into a Lacombe commu-
nity development account, creating a new
