The BC Energy Plan

BACKGROUNDER

ELECTRICITY, ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY

The BC Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean Energy Leadership puts British Columbia at the forefront of environmental and economic leadership in our energy policies. The Plan outlines the steps required for all stakeholders — including industry experts, environmental agencies and the people of British Columbia — to develop realistic and achievable goals for conservation, energy efficiency and clean energy.

Highlights

Electricity:

• Ensure self-sufficiency to meet electricity needs by 2016, plus "insurance" power to supply unexpected demand thereafter.
• Maintain public ownership of BC Hydro (BCH) and its heritage assets, and the BC Transmission Corporation (BCTC).
• BCTC will ensure the transmission technology and infrastructure remains at the leading edge and has the ability to deliver power efficiently and reliably to meet growing demand.
• Extend the BCH heritage contract in perpetuity to ensure ratepayers will continue to receive the benefits of low-cost electricity.
• All new electricity generating facilities constructed in British Columbia will be required to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
• By 2016, existing thermal generating power plants will achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
• Require zero greenhouse gas emissions from any coal thermal electricity facilities.
• Establish a standing offer contract for clean electricity or high efficiency electricity cogeneration projects less than 10 megawatts to help expand B.C.'s clean energy supply.
• The contract price will be based on the prices paid in the most recent BC Hydro energy call.
• Ensure clean or renewable electricity generation continues to account for at least 90 per cent of total generation.
• These include sources of energy that are constantly renewed by natural processes, such as large and small hydroelectric, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, wood residue and energy from organic municipal waste.
• Continue to support electricity trading opportunities and allocating trade revenue to BC Hydro ratepayers to keep electricity rates low.
• No nuclear power.

Conservation and Energy Efficiency

• Set an ambitious target to acquire 50 per cent of BC Hydro's incremental resource needs through conservation by 2020.
• Support utilities and the BC Utilities Commission to pursue all cost-effective demand side management programs.
• Encourage utilities to design rates to encourage efficiency, conservation and the development of renewable energy.
• Implement cost-effective energy efficiency standards for new buildings by 2010.
• Undertake a pilot project for energy performance labeling of homes and buildings in co-ordination with local and federal governments, First Nations and industry associations.
• Increase participation in the Community Action on Energy Efficiency program and expand the First Nations and Remote Community Clean Energy program.
• Construct new provincial public sector buildings with the highest standards for greenhouse gas emission reductions, water conservation and other building performance results such as a certified standard.
• Develop an industrial Energy Efficiency Program to address specific challenges faced by the province's industrial sector.

-30-

For more information or a copy of The BC Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean Energy Leadership, visit http://energyplan.gov.bc.ca on the Internet.

Media contact:

Jake Jacobs
Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
250 952-0628

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province's news feeds using RSS, visit the Province's website at www.gov.bc.ca.