Latest news with #EnergyFuturesInstitute
Vancouver Sun
29-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
David Eby calls for U.S. clean-energy producers to relocate to B.C. in open call for more power
Premier David Eby joined in on the province's next call for independent power companies to supply B.C. Hydro, characterizing it as part of his campaign to make B.C. less dependent on U.S. trade. The province and B.C. Hydro opened the process to accept proposals from independent power producers to supply 5,000 gigawatt hours per year of electricity, enough to power some 500,000 homes, to be delivered starting in 2028 and ending in 2033. B.C. Hydro's process to submit bids starts in September with a closing date of Jan. 5, 2026, and it follows a 2024 call for power that resulted in the selection of 10 winning bidders to supply a similar 5,000 gigawatt hours per year, which Eby said represents $6 billion of investment in the province. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Eby called the new proposal 'an economic driver in every corner of British Columbia,' and part of the province's campaign to strengthen the province despite U.S. tariff threats by President Donald Trump. The premier taunted Trump over his expressed dislike of 'those windmills that produce electricity (because) they interfere with the views from his golf course.' 'Let me tell you, to all those American clean energy producers, come relocate to British Columbia,' Eby added. Renewable power is becoming more of a selling point, Eby claimed, for industries needed to 'produce the lowest-carbon products in the world.' B.C. Hydro's critics, such as the Energy Futures Institute, an offshoot of the resource-industry think-tank Resource Works, have been skeptical about the province's ability to keep up with its own clean-energy ambitions by stacking up intermittent renewable power sources. In June, Energy Futures Institute chair, former environment minister Barry Penner, noted that B.C. Hydro is on track to be a net importer of electricity for the third straight year due to drought conditions in the core reservoirs in its hydroelectric system. However, head of the independent power sector's leading trade group called this second call a 'strong signal' to his members and investors about the province's commitment. 'These projects will deliver long-term jobs, attract world class investment, strengthen environmental stewardship and provide stronger economic growth,' said Kwatuuma Cole Sayers, executive-director of Clean Energy B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said the 2025 call for power builds on the province's plan to both build the economy and advance reconciliation with First Nations. Eby noted that of the 10 projects awarded purchase agreements in the 2024 call, nine are majority owned by First Nations, with the 10th having a First Nation as a 49-per-cent joint venture partner. Dix added that 'there is urgency in this moment, urgency because we've seen in the United States an attack on Canadian sovereignty. We have to become more self-sufficient and we have to become stronger.' B.C. Hydro CEO Chris O'Riley, who made his final announcement before retiring Friday after 35 years with the utility, said bidders to the request for proposals will need to include a minimum 25 per cent First Nations equity ownership with incentives to get up to 51 per cent. O'Riley added that the province and Hydro will be working with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to hit those goals, which he characterized as partnerships that 'mark a transformative shift rooted in reconciliation, shared economic prosperity and First Nations Leadership in energy development.' On July 16, Hydro marked the 'penultimate milestone' of its Site C dam project by commissioning the fifth of six generating units at the facility near Fort St. John. The project will boost B.C.'s electricity supplies by some eight per cent. B.C. Hydro plans to sign power purchase contracts with the winners of the latest call for power in early 2026. depenner@
Vancouver Sun
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. NDP looking at easing up on EV mandates as sales decline
The B.C. government is considering scaling back its zero-emission vehicle sales targets amid a decline in EV sales and ongoing consumer concerns about affordability and gaps in charging infrastructure. In a slide presentation to industry representatives on June 18, Nat Gosman, an assistant deputy minister in the Energy Ministry, said that a recent levelling off in adoption of electric vehicles by British Columbians had made it 'challenging' for the province to meet its legislated target that 90 per cent of new vehicles be zero-emission by 2030. Although the province remains a leader within Canada, with electric vehicles accounting for 22.4 per cent of new vehicles sold, that rate remained largely static in both 2023 and 2024, he said. Gosman cited a number of reasons for the slowdown, including affordability concerns due to a pause in government rebates, supply chain disruptions caused by U.S. tariffs, and concerns about reliability of public charging sites. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. As a result, the province is 'considering several changes' to the zero-emissions vehicle act 'to respond to current economic conditions, support affordability for consumers, and lessen pressures on automakers,' according to the slide presentation, which was obtained by the Energy Futures Institute and shared with reporters on Tuesday. Barry Penner, chair of the Energy Futures Institute and a former B.C. Liberal environment minister, said the problem is that the government has 'put the cart before the horse' when it comes to incentivizing people to buy electric vehicles. He said public charging infrastructure remains unavailable or unreliable in large swaths of the province and costs have not come down enough for many British Columbians to afford making the switch amid a cost-of-living crisis. 'The government imposed these electric vehicle mandates before the public charging infrastructure is in place and before we've figured out how we're going to make it easy for people to charge their vehicles in multi-family dwellings like apartment buildings,' said Penner. Data from the Ministry of Energy's presentation shows there have been 7,000 public charging stations installed across the province, with a goal to get that to 10,000 by 2030. Despite that progress, officials admitted that only one in four British Columbians have access to a charging station and that 41 per cent of respondents to a research survey carried out by the ministry said there were not enough public charging stations. Another problem, says Penner, is that the NDP's elimination in May of its electric vehicle mandate program will further depress demand. He also raised concerns about the availability of enough electricity to charge EVs given B.C. imported a quarter of its electricity from the U.S. in 2024 and could be on course to do the same this year. 'We're a net importer of electricity, but we have these policies in British Columbia to prohibit the use of natural gas for commercial and residential heating or to use internal combustion engine vehicles,' said Penner. 'It would make sense to stop preventing people from accessing other forms of energy before we have a ready supply of electricity that we don't have to import from the United States.' The Ministry of Energy did not respond to questions posed by Postmedia about what a revised mandate might look like or whether the government was considering bringing back its rebate program. Blair Qualey, CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., said he was briefed by the Ministry of Energy last Friday and says the problem the government is running into is a lack of incentives to boost supply. Instead, it has become focused on driving up the supply of electric vehicles through the zero-emission mandates, which doesn't work in a time of low demand. 'There's a number of unintended consequences that come with sticking with these incredibly stringent targets that the government put in place a couple years ago,' said Qualey. 'I think government, based on general comments, recognizes reality and they appear to be open to having conversations about potential ways of adapting the current targets.' Qualey agreed with Penner that the three main issues appear to be a lack of charging infrastructure, affordability challenges, and a potential concern around whether B.C. actually has enough electricity to power people's vehicles. He recommended the government focus on what he calls the 'three-legged stool' of ensuring there are enough charging stations, helping with affordability by bringing back the rebate program, and launching an educational campaign around the improving range and technology available in electric vehicles. Jonn Axsen, a resource and environmental management professor at SFU, said he doesn't mind if the government feels it needs to ease off on the 2030 target so long as the 2035 target that 100 per cent of all new vehicles be zero-emission remains in place. He said the federal government's target for 2030 is only set at 60 per cent, and he believes this might be an easier benchmark for the province to follow. 'Having a target of 100 per cent by 2030 is absolutely possible. We can do 90 per cent by 2030. We could have that as a requirement. It's more just about what is the smoother transition,' said Axsen. At the same time, Axsen says the story of the auto sector decrying government mandates around efficiency and transitioning away from fossil fuels goes back decades. He also believes the idea that people will simply take up electric vehicles without government support is false. 'It's a tactic used by automakers since forever. When it comes to environmental regulation, they don't want to be environmentally regulated, of course. So anytime there's any hiccup in sales, they just always point out, 'Oh, it's really hard now, don't force us to sell more, it's impossible',' said Axsen. 'They can sell way more electric cars. They can just change the profit margins they put on zero-emissions vehicles compared to conventional vehicles. Just cross-price subsidies, which they do all the time across their fleets.' alazenby@
Global News
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Global News
Slowing sales raise questions about B.C.'s electric vehicle mandate
The British Columbia government is facing renewed questions about whether its aggressive electric vehicle (EV) sales mandates can be achieved. Under current B.C. law, 26 per cent of new light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. must be zero-emission by 2026, a figure climbing to 90 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035. B.C. has, to date, been a Canadian leader in EV adoption, with 24 per cent of new vehicle shoppers snapping one up in 2024. But that momentum has run into trouble. Both Ottawa and B.C. phased out their EV subsidies earlier this year, and the auto industry says sales dropped quickly afterward. 2:24 BIV: EV sales in Canada plummet over last year 'The first quarter, we were pushing 19 per cent in adoption rate. In April, it was down to 15 per cent … in May it's about flat with 15 per cent again, so the math is just not there to achieve the 26 per cent in 2026,' said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers' Association of B.C. Story continues below advertisement 'The 2030 number is virtually impossible.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Powering British Columbia's roads under a fully electric scenario is another concern. Barry Penner, chair of the Energy Futures Institute, said his group modelled the electricity needs B.C. would face if it did meet its 100 per cent adoption target by 2035. 'It would require, at full implementation, two more site C dams worth of electricity. And this year, we have been importing electricity,' Penner said. 'In the last couple of years, on average, we've imported 20 to 25 percent. Of our domestic electricity needs from outside the province.' Penner said consumer behaviour has also been shifting towards plug-in hybrids, which are cheaper, but have typically not qualified for government rebates. 3:48 B.C. electric vehicle rebate pause The Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. Story continues below advertisement However, Global News obtained a technical review of B.C.'s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act and Regulation, which appears to show the government is open to adjusting the program. The document shows the province is considering 'several changes' to the legislation 'to respond to current economic conditions, support affordability for consumers, and lessen pressures on automakers.' Those changes include revising the 2030 zero-emission sales targets, amending compliance ratios for battery electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, changing the percentage of plug-in hybrids dealers can sell under the law, and changing range requirements to ensure more vehicles qualify for credits. The document further notes that challenges to EV adoption still include range anxiety and vehicle price. 'They're more expensive on average than a non-electric vehicle. Some studies suggest about $8,000 per vehicle,' Penner said. 'Internal government polling shows almost 60 per cent of British Columbians say that's the number one problem buying an electric cars is the cost and yet what have they done? They've removed the rebate.' B.C. has been working to upgrade infrastructure; BC Hydro has installed about 600 fast chargers around the province, with more to come. 'And while the province has paused EV subsidies for now, the policy document hints that it is looking at 'new initiative agreement pathways to support affordability for consumers.' Story continues below advertisement The province is also conducting a wider review of its entire CleanBC program. Qualey said new rebates would help the situation, but argued that even with them in place, the targets are too aggressive. 'Ideally, we would like a pause on all of it right now to continue the conversation so the manufacturers, who are the obligated parties in all of this, can sit with government … (and determine) what targets are achievable,' he said.
Vancouver Sun
04-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Capacity crunch? B.C. Hydro seeks proposals for more backup power for provincial grid
With no new big dams of its own to build, B.C. Hydro on Wednesday threw open a window for private developers to propose new sources of 'baseload' power to backup the growing list of renewable electricity proposals it's enlisting to expand the province's grid. 'Baseload' refers to sources of power utilities can turn on or off as needed, such as B.C. Hydro's existing dams. With this, Hydro is considering possibilities for geothermal, pump-storage hydro or even grid-scale batteries as a means to meet peak demand when intermittent wind and solar sources are less reliable. B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix didn't put a number on the amount of electricity Hydro might be looking for in a request for expressions of interest, just that 'we want to see what's out there and get those proposals in place.' Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Dix, however, characterized the step as 'a moment when we have to build again to diversify, to build the economy and to create wealth,' not dissimilar to the period of B.C.'s dam-building boom in the 1960s and 1970s. 'This call for power, though, is about the growth of our economy, about the opportunities in mining, about the requests for power that are at an extremely high level,' Dix said. 'We've got to build out clean electricity, which is one of our significant economic advantages in B.C.' Critics of the government's energy policy, however, look at the announcement as evidence that the ambitions in government's Clean B.C. plan to electrify the economy are putting a strain on the province's electricity grid. 'This is an acknowledgment that B.C. Hydro is facing a capacity crunch,' said Barry Penner, executive director of the Energy Futures Institute and former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister. Penner's Energy Futures Institute is one of the groups that has questioned whether Hydro is keeping up with demand, particularly since B.C. Hydro is in the third year of drought conditions that have pushed it to being a net importer of electricity. B.C. Hydro's Site C dam, which is expected to be fully in commission by the end of this year, will add eight per cent to B.C.'s electricity supply. Dix added that the 10 independent power projects approved last fall will add another eight per cent, but won't start coming online until 2028. On Wednesday, Penner acknowledged that it makes sense for Hydro to explore the capacity of future options, such as geothermal, but it shouldn't discount the potential of the existing natural-gas-fired power generation that it has on hand now, but is planning on decommissioning as part of its Clean B.C. plan. Penner added that he was attending the Go Clean Energy Conference in Bend, Ore., as he spoke to Postmedia News, where representatives from California talked about that state's plans to pause its plans to get rid of natural-gas-fired plants in light of long-term drought. 'There is some policy cognitive dissonance, shutting down existing capacity when they say we need more,' Penner said. Conservative Opposition critic Larry Neufeld said 'we need to be far less scared of natural gas.' 'We have nothing against green energy whatsoever, the geothermal, the biogas he's talking about,' said Neufeld, who is also the Tory MLA for Peach River North. 'Our concern would be, though, that investing too much in one area leaves us open to not fulfilling the baseload (requirements) as fully as it should be.' However, Mark Zacharias, a special adviser to the think-tank Clean Energy Canada, said 'there are many sources, all of them are … feasible and should be cost-competitive over time.' Considering regulatory timelines, Zacharias said grid-scale batteries would be the quickest to roll out and 'costs at grid scale are just plummeting.' On geothermal, Zacharias said B.C. has a 'medium' potential for the method, which taps heat from underground to power steam turbines, and 'has been successfully used around the planet.' Wednesday's announcement also included a request for expressions of interest for ideas for energy efficiency, which would reduce electricity use. This component does include a target to reduce some 2,000 gigawatt-hours worth of electricity use, the equivalent of powering 200,000 homes, to free up power for potential new industrial users. Hydro CEO Chris O'Riley said the utility wants to talk with potential partners about new technologies that could expand its 'leading energy-efficiency programs.' 'We are looking beyond the near term and opening up exploration of the next chapter of B.C.'s energy future,' O'Riley said. depenner@
Vancouver Sun
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. car dealers brace for end of EV rebate as zero-emission targets remain in place
The pace of electric vehicle sales has slowed considerably over the past year in B.C. and could drop even further with the pausing of provincial rebates this week, which had offered up to $4,000 off the cost of eligible vehicles. The percentage of all new vehicle purchases that are electric has slid from 22.5 per cent in late 2024 to 18 per cent in February 2025, according to data compiled by Jerome Gessaroli for the Energy Futures Institute. According to Statistics Canada, EV sales across the country dropped 44 per cent in March compared to the same time last year, with both the federal government and Quebec pausing their rebate programs in the first two months of 2025. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The B.C. NDP government plan from 2017 to address climate change sets ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by 2040, although the most recent accountability report projects the government will only reach half of that goal. Part of that plan includes legislatively mandated EV targets, which require 90 per cent of all new vehicles sold in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035 to be zero emission. Leigh Heppner, general manager of Preston Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac in Langley, told Postmedia that the rebate had been successful in drawing customers toward EVs but that cost pressures are ramping up and the lack of a rebate is likely to drive down sales. He said the mandates are unrealistic and keeping them in place, with the rebate gone, has the potential to force manufacturers to reduce the number of gas-powered cars they import into the province. This could in turn reduce the number of vehicles dealerships are selling, hurting their bottom line, and forcing some British Columbians to go elsewhere for their business. 'I think that by restricting the supply of gas vehicles into the province, we aren't going to see an automatic uptick in EV sales,' said Heppner, who explained that manufacturers could also choose to pay the fine of up to $20,000 for not meeting the targets. 'As a dealer, we're caught in the middle, where we live with what the manufacturer decides to do. So if that's restrict supply, that's one factor, if it's pay the penalty, then at the end of the day, we know that that's going to work its way into the cost for the consumer in one way or another.' Blair Qualey, CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., added the industry already saw the costs added to vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic when supply chains broke down. Between 2019 and 2021, the average price of a new vehicle rose by 13 per cent, according to a report released earlier this year by Car Help Canada. Qualey said he hopes to see the province bring back the rebates and continue investments into charging stations and educating consumers on the benefit of electric vehicles. At the same time, he wants the province to back off on the mandates, which he said the industry will not be able to meet. Premier David Eby has acknowledged that target may not be achievable and that the legislation is under review. 'Their concerns are real,' the premier told reporters at the beginning of April, stating that Energy Minister Adrian Dix will examine the rebate program as part of a wider review of the CleanBC climate plan. Interim Green leader Jeremy Valeriote believes the rebate program was never meant to be permanent and that the price of an electric vehicle has come down enough that it may no longer be necessary. He said he would have preferred the rebate continue but that there are changes that could be made to make it more targeted. At the same time, he wants steps taken to ensure the province can reach its legislatively mandated EV targets and believes it is still possible despite the setbacks, stating that '10 years is a long time.' 'Yes, it's achievable. Yes, we need incentives, whether in the form of the rebates, or some other way of incentivizing it,' said Valeriote. 'We're meeting our target for now, and we need to keep adjusting and to make sure that we keep meeting those targets. I think 2035 is entirely possible with the way technology is moving.' However, even if the province can reach those targets there is some concern about whether B.C. has the electricity necessary to power those EVs. The province has been a net importer of power for the past two years, and Barry Penner, Energy Futures Institute chair and a former B.C. Liberal environment minister, said his institute's research estimates the government would need to build two more Site C dams just to meet EV energy demand. 'We're driving up electricity demand in British Columbia before we have dealt with our self-sufficiency issues,' said Penner. 'In other words, we are putting the cart before the horse.' For his part, Dix echoed Eby and Valeriote in saying that the province is on track to meet its target of 26 per cent new vehicles being zero-emission by 2026 and the goal is to find additional ways to encourage EV uptake. He said the federal government announced the end of their own rebate program in January, which had offered up to $5,000, and his government is focused on increasing the number of charging stations in B.C. The government says there are now over 7,000 charging stations around the province. 'We're continuing to work with everyone involved to ensure that people have an opportunity to purchase EVs, to see the advantage of EVs,' said Dix. 'For many people the key issue is not just an issue of price level, although that's an important question, the issue is of being able to use EVs across the province.'
