Whereas Property Assessed Clean Energy PACE Programs promote energy efficient building retrofits through loans repaid via property tax requisition, and PACE programs support the reduction of greenhouse gases, target the most inefficient buildings, and can support equity of access for those enduring energy poverty; And whereas in 2020 the Province identified PACE as a priority and in 2021 awarded the mandate to develop a Property PACE Roadmap for British Columbias Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy; And whereas PACE loans are repaid by homeowners through an addition to annual property tax bills and currently property tax bills are issued by the Province on behalf of regional districts: Therefore be it resolved that that UBCM request that the Province prioritize the PACE initiative enabling legislation and include consideration for participation by electoral area residents of regional districts.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation The Province has been working to advance key policies for energy efficiency in buildings, as committed to in CleanBC, which were formulated to make significant headway in meeting our ambitious emission reduction targets. These policies include phasing out utility incentives for conventional gas heating equipment, introducing highest efficiency space and water heating equipment standards, implementing greenhouse gas requirements in the BC Building Code, and developing a virtual home energy rating system that will support mandatory home energy labelling at the time of sale. The Province is considering next steps for PACE in light of energy retrofit incentives currently available in the market. CleanBC has an extensive portfolio of incentive programs to support retrofits in the residential and commercial sectors and is working to continuously improve and expand its coverage. As an example, BC launched the Income Qualified Program, which rather than lending money to individuals that may have difficulty with repayment, offers subsidies of up to 95 of the project costs for energy upgrades. CleanBC offers are also stackable with federal offers, including the Canada Greener Homes Loan of up to 40,000 per household, interest-free, which was introduced in June 2022.