WHEREAS BC Municipalities who signed the Climate Action Charter were supposed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2012 and streetlights represent a significant portion of electrical usage, especially for small northern communities; AND WHEREAS BC Hydro owns a significant percentage of the streetlights under the 1701 designation, especially in smaller communities, which is preventing those communities from being able to address their carbon footprint by changing to LED streetlights: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request the provincial government to make the necessary changes to BC Hydro to allow all communities to reach locally appropriate solutions to switch BC Hydro owned streetlights to LED lights.
Ministry of Energy Mines BC Hydro is currently piloting LED technology with a goal of better understanding the potential energy and maintenance savings from the technology. The results of the pilot are expected in spring 2016. BC Hydro will be reviewing its street lighting rates, including potential LED rates, as part of the 2015 Rate Design Application RDA. This application is scheduled for submission to the BC Utilities Commission in summer 2015.