In response to a dramatic rise in public interest for information and expertise in renewable energy technology, CITIZENS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY (CFRE) was founded at the beginning of 1996.

The organization was registered as a non-profit corporation on January 29, 1996 and founding Directors Siegfried (Ziggy) Kleinau, Dr. Catherine Stanley and Hans Albarda constituted as the Executive.

Ziggy Kleinau took on the post of Coordinator (President) and Treasurer and Catherine Stanley acted as Secretary.

The objects for which the Corporation was incorporated are the following:

1. to help protect the environment now and for future generations,
2. to conduct research on renewable energy issues and disseminate the results to the public, industries and the governments,
3. to strive to create awareness in public and government of a benign way to produce electicity, virtually without impact on the environment,
4. to demonstrate the immense strides made in renewable energy technology towards producing most of our energy needs from practically inexhaustable natural sources without creating waste,
5. to help government create new, permanent jobs in this emerging 'green' industry by promoting widespread installation of photovoltaic and wind energy systems in small & medium installations,
6. to foster responsibility in our lifestyle by cutting all waste, especially waste of energy.

The special provisions adopted were the ones generally used in incorporating non-profit corporations. -In addition CFRE, in carrying out the objects specified, undertakes to issue quarterly newsletters to member households for the annual fee of $5. Realizing the benefit of networking with other environmental and energy-oriented organizations CFRE joined the Ontario Environment Network (OEN) and the Canadian Environmental Network (CEN) as well as Great Lakes United (GLU), thereby gleaning valuable information from research and government contacts.

Promotion of CFRE was actually pursued by the Coordinator at functions like the Agriculture Alternative Conference at the U. of Guelph and Annual Meetings and Symposiums of Organic Food groups. It paid off to the tune of a membership nearing 200 after the first three months.

CFRE made a presentation before the MacDonald Commission in London in March and arranged meetings with the 2 area Members of Parliament (M.P.) to inform them on renewable energy issues and the goals of CFRE.

Our first workshop with presenters bringing examples of their wind- and solar installations was held in Ferndale in early May and brought an overflow audience with many of them signing up for membership. A newspaper report on the workshop promoted the M.P. for Grey-Bruce, Ovid Jackson, to send a letter congratulating and encouraging CFRE to keep up the good work!

A 600-signature petition to the federal government asking for a fair distribution of the up-til-now lopsided favouring non-renewable energy research and generation was presented to Parliament in June by the M.P. for York-Simcoe, Karen Kraft Sloan.

Also in June the Coordinator made a presentation before the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) on behalf of CFRE and 4 endorsing organizations (totalling over 1,000 persons) outlining concerns in regard to the licence renewal of the Bruce 'A' nuclear station.

In August we conducted our second workshop on renewable energy applications at a marvellous demonstration site, the YMCA Environmental Learning Centre near Waterloo with approx. 40 people attending. -In political action the Board submitted papers of concern about so-called environmental restructuring plans to the provincial government and a letter of support for recommendations by a parliamentary committee on Bio-technology to the federal government.

In September the Coordinator attended the Annual General Meeting of the OEN near Temagami was able to do effective networking with members of groups all over Ontario through the Energy/Environment Caucus.

In October the Coordinator was invited to attend a MOX (Mixed Oxide) Forum on Disposition of Russian and U.S. Plutonium in Ontario Nuclear Generating Stations' conducted by the George Ignatieff Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies of the University of Toronto and to make a presentation on behalf of public interest groups located near those plants.

Having studied those issues intensively he felt he was able to make a valuable contribution.

At the end of November, 2 new Directors joined the Board of CFRE. Carey Bergman, a graduate student in Zoology at the University of Guelph, and Robert Budd, organic farmer, operating a Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm near Goderich, declared their interestto serve the organization. Hans and Catherine, our first Directors, decided at that time to step aside to give the new Directors the opportunity for their input. Carey agreed to take on the post of Secretary and Robert will give of his expertise to organize workshops and give technical advice.

By the end of the year we could look back on having issued four newsletters and conducted two workshops. Our promotion efforts had resulted in a membership topping the 500 mark!

Our first year truly could be termed a success story for CFRE!!

P.S. Our sincere thanks goes out to Catherine and Hans for their dedicated service to our organization during their term as Directors!!

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