Whereas the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act sets aggressive legislated targets for reducing greenhouse gases; under the Act, BCs GHG emissions are to be reduced by at least 80 percent below 2007 levels by 2050; And whereas reducing energy use in existing homes is an integral part of meeting the GHG reduction target but there are financial barriers for homeowners to participate in energy efficiency retrofit programs; And whereas, local improvement charges in British Columbia do not include the provision of cost recovery for energy efficiency retrofits on private property: Therefore be it resolved that the Province of British Columbia enact legislation to allow the cost recovery of locally financed green energy technologies and energy efficiency retrofits on private properties through local improvement charges.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing The Province is currently not prepared to expand municipal taxation and financing authority to home energy retrofits, as this would involve public taxation and financing for privately owned improvements. Local improvement chargestaxes and accompanying public borrowing are reserved for financing the costs of public infrastructure that are owned and controlled by the municipality, such as construction of a sidewalk or a wastewater facility. Local improvement charges and public borrowing are not the appropriate vehicle to finance private acquisitions that are owned by residents. There is already a robust home equity financing market for those types of undertakings. However, provincial legislation provides many other options for local governments to support and promote a green economy; these include: - municipal grants to individual households to subsidize a portion of the costs of acquiring solar panels. - waivers or reductions of development cost charges when a new development has qualifying energy efficiency components. - partial revitalization tax exemption when property owners install or upgrade energy efficiency improvements. - enhanced public education and communications on energy efficiency. Provincial staff are available to assist local governments on these options to promote a green economy.