New BC Energy Plan Announced
Minister of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources, Richard Neufeld, recently unveiled the province’s new energy plan. Titled the BC Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean Energy Leadership, the document outlines 55 policy actions, with a focus on environmental leadership through the use of clean energy technology. “The BC Energy Plan provides made-in-BC solutions to the global challenge of ensuring secure, reliable and affordable energy,” said Neufeld.
Under this ambitious plan, all new electricity projects developed in BC must have zero net greenhouse gas emissions. New natural gas or oil fired electricity generation projects developed in BC and connected to the integrated grid would have to invest in other initiatives that offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated by these projects in order to maintain zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, the government has committed to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions of existing thermal generation power plants to zero by 2016. These existing natural gas and oil fired electricity generating facilities would also need to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
Other priorities identified in the BC Energy Plan are energy security and energy conservation and efficiency. The plan’s ambition is for the province to be electricity self-sufficient by 2016, with a target to acquire 50% of BC Hydro’s incremental resource needs through conservation by 2020.
New energy efficiency standards will be determined and implemented for buildings by 2010. Additionally, the province has committed money for clean energy and energy efficient technologies in the electricity, alternative energy, transportation and oil and gas sectors through a new $25 million Innovative Clean Energy Fund.
This is the second BC Energy Plan in five years. According to Minister Neufeld, “This plan builds on a proud tradition of innovation that has resulted in 90% of our power generation coming from clean sources and sets BC apart as a leading jurisdiction in sustainable environmental and economic management.”