BC Throne Speech - A Major Boost For Green Energy

Today, the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia delivered the Speech from the Throne (click to read) to open the 2009 Legislative Session: 1st Session, 39th Parliament of the BC Legislature.

For BC's renewable energy sector which has been looking for a new commitment from the BC Government, the Throne Speech was most definitely that.

Here are the specific renewable energy highlights direct from the Speech: 

·         Green energy will be a cornerstone of British Columbia's climate action plan.

·         Electricity self-sufficiency and clean, renewable power generation will be integral to our effort to fight global warming.

·         The BC Utilities Commission will receive specific direction.

·         Phasing out Burrard Thermal is a critical component of B.C.'s greenhouse gas reduction strategy.

·         Further, this government will capitalize on the world's desire and need for clean energy, for the benefit of all British Columbians.

·         Whether it is the development of Site C, run-of-river hydro power, wind, tidal, solar, geothermal, or bioenergy and biomassBritish Columbia will take every step necessary to become a clean energy powerhouse, as indicated in the BC Energy Plan.

·         Government will use the means at its disposal to maximize our province's potential for the good of our workers, our communities, our province and the planet.

·         While these forms of power require greater investment, in the long run, they will produce exponentially higher economic returns to our province, environmental benefits to our planet and jobs throughout British Columbia.

·         High-quality, reliable, clean power is an enormous economic advantage that will benefit every British Columbian in every part of this province for generations to come.

·         Ready access to clean, affordable power has been a huge strategic incentive to industrial development in British Columbia.

·         We will build on past successes with new strategies aimed at developing new clean, renewable power as a competitive advantage to stimulate new investment, industry and employment.

·         Growing knowledge industries like database management and telecommunications will increasingly look for new places to invest and create jobs that have clean, reliable, low-carbon, low-cost power.

·         New energy producers will be looking for long-term investments leveraged through long-term power contracts that give them a competitive edge in our province.

·         B.C.'s multiple sources of clean, renewable energy are far preferable to reliance on other dirtier forms of power.

·         We will open up that power potential with new vigour, new prescribed clean power calls and new investments in transmission. New approaches to power generation, transmission and taxation policies will create new high-paying jobs for British Columbia's families.

·         A new Green Energy Advisory Task Force will shortly be appointed to complement the work of the BCUC's long-term transmission requirement review.

·         That task force will be asked to recommend a blueprint for maximizing British Columbia's clean power potential, including a principled, economically-viable and environmentally-sustainable export development policy.

·         It will review the policies, incentives and impediments currently affecting B.C.'s green power potential, and it will identify best practices employed in other leading jurisdictions.

·         We will promote biomass power solutions and convert landfill waste into clean energy that reduces harmful methane gas emissions.

·         The government has mandated methane capture from landfills to ensure we deal responsibly with our own waste and convert it to clean energy where practicable.

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Comments (4) Read through and enter the discussion with the form at the end
Stu - August 26, 2009 12:56 PM

Thanks for the writeup.

This should be the end of all those "public power" nay sayers who are fighting green and GHG-less energy.

But of course the NDP in its nod to COPE 378 will fight this tooth and nail.

Malcolm P. MacPherson - August 26, 2009 6:13 PM

Our forests are littered with biofuel, largely due to the pine beetle's relentless march through our pine forests. If we do not harvest this fuel soon, nature will see to it, as it has this summer, that it is burned. It is time we converted this bio-fuel into electricity!

Malcolm P. MacPherson

Barb Mitchell - September 10, 2009 2:29 PM

There's more spinning going on than just my Wind Turbine!

B.C.'s throne speech a major boost? You must be joking!

I'm an IPP--albeit a small one with a 10 kW wind turbine on my golf course in the Okanagan Valley. Installed two months ago, all production goes to the B.C. Hydro grid.

When I ordered the turbine last winter, I also applied to B.C.'s green energy program. Six months later I discovered their incentive is only offered up to 3 kW turbine size.

I also applied to the Federal ecoEnergy Retrofit program. After three months of hearing nothing, I phoned Ottawa...4 phone transfers later, I was told my 10 kW turbine was ineligible for their program because my historical electrical consumption is too low for the program! The department manager assuaged my disappointment with "Oh, but you'll get benefits--from the wind".

So, the wee IPPs and the mega-producers are looked after.

I have spent $50,000 of my own money. Ineligibility for both the provincial and federal incentive programs adds years onto the amortization of the turbine.

I'm disgusted with both governments' lack of vision.

You sound just like government, Warren Brazier.

John Ledsham - December 17, 2009 5:57 PM

We should be going "full steam ahead" for the production of hydro electricity. If electric cars become widely used we'll need an additional 20kw/hrs per day per car.

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