The BC Energy Plan: Report on Progress
Last week, the BC Government released a report on progress of its 2007 BC Energy Plan. The report shows just how far the Province has come in a little over 2 years since the introduction of the BC Energy Plan and demonstrates the Province's environmental leadership and many initiatives in the clean energy sector.
Some of the renewable energy specific highlights in the report include:
- the Clean Power Call
- the two-phase Bioenergy Call for Power
- the Standing Offer Program for projects under 10MW
- 34 clean energy projects received $47 million in funding from the Province's Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund
- Hartley Bay hydroelectric project which takes a rural community off of diesel-generated power
- investment in electric vehicles
- BC Bioenergy Strategy and BC Bioenergy Network promoting renewable energy innovation
- Special Direction No. 10 to the BCUC to ensure BC Hydro can pursue self-sufficiency goals
The Province should be properly recognized for doing many of the right things to encourage the development of a green economy on many different fronts throughout British Columbia. While there is much work still to be done, the foundation has been laid and businesses have stepped up and invested millions of dollars, and created thousands of jobs as a result of the Energy Plan. So, yes, a green focused economy works very well for British Columbia.
