Whereas local governments are required to set greenhouse gas reduction targets and decarbonizing the energy supply is critical to the Provinces efforts in reaching its low-carbon future as communities transition towards becoming more energy-efficient; And whereas communities may have opportunities to create clean and renewable energy projects, such as micro-hydro, geothermal, or solar power; And whereas such projects are typically only viable where local governments are guaranteed to be able to sell the power at a economically beneficial cost: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM encourage the Province to restore the power purchase call program from BC Hydro to purchase local government generation at a price and term that supports the development of these renewable energy projects.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Several of the opportunities to reduce emissions identified in CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 CleanBC involve using clean electricity to displace carbon-emitting fuels in buildings, transportation, and in industrial sectors. Already, 98 percent of British Columbias BC electricity generation comes from large hydro-electric facilities and other clean, renewable resources such as wind, solar, run-of-river and small storage hydro-electricity, biomass, and other alternative resources. BC currently has a surplus of highly-reliable, low-cost, and clean electricity, enough to move us towards our CleanBC goals in the near and medium term. As a result, a program to purchase new electricity generation from local governments would have minimal greenhouse gas emissions benefits and at prices likely needed to support the development of local power generation would create upward pressure on electricity rates, discouraging homes and businesses from switching from fossil fuels to electricity. In the longer term, CleanBC policies will further increase the demand for electricity. BC Hydro and Fortis Electric, the largest electric utilities in BC, have submitted plans to the British Columbia Utilities Commission BCUC outlining potential increases in electricity demand as well as resource plans that allow them to meet it. The BCUC is reviewing these plans through public processes and will ultimately decide whether or not to approve them. These decisions would then inform any future procurement or development by either utility.
BC Hydro As set out in our 2021 Integrated Resource Plan, BC Hydros existing and committed generation resources, as compared against our forecast of future customer needs, shows that BC will have surplus electricity for some time on our integrated system. This means were ready to support growth in BCs population and economy while playing our part in achieving the Government of BCs greenhouse gas reduction targets. It also means were prepared to deal with the incremental opportunities from electrification. BC Hydro updates its view of the supply of electricity regularly. If, at some point, it is determined that additional resources are required to meet future customer needs, BC Hydro would look to the alternatives which would be available which may include advancing a call for power.