WHEREAS air emissions from coal-fired generation negatively affect human health, wildlife and airshed visibility, and contain significant amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change; AND WHEREAS BC Hydros Integrated Electricity Plan, which allows coal-fired generation in BC, is in direct conflict with the Province of BCs Climate Change Plan that seeks to maintain and improve BCs third place ranking for per capita greenhouse gas emissions, and is also in direct conflict with BC Hydros own long-term goal of having no net incremental environmental impact: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province give clear direction to BC Hydro to consider the full costs of all environmental impacts from coal-fired generation and other types of generation when determining the least cost options; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Province give equally clear direction to BC Hydro to more aggressively pursue improvements in energy efficiency and low-impact renewable energy sources, such as wind, tidal or run-of-river power.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Currently in British Columbia, about 90 percent of electricity generated comes from clean or renewable sources. The BC Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean Energy Leadership, Energy Plan, released by Minister Richard Neufeld on February 27, 2007, commits the Province to maintaining this standard. Clean or renewable resources include sources of energy that are constantly renewed by natural processes, such as water, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, wood residue and organic municipal waste. For the small proportion of the provincial electricity sector that uses thermal generation technology, the Energy Plan sets new and uncompromising greenhouse gas GHG emissions targets. All new electricity generation projects developed in British Columbia and connected to the integrated power grid must have net zero GHG emissions. Existing thermal power plants have until 2016 to reach the net zero GHG emissions standard. They will achieve this through investments in new or upgraded technologies, or through investments in carbon offsets. The Provincial Government will only allow the building of coal-powered generating plants when they are technologically capable of reaching zero GHG emissions. This may occur in the future through the advancement of clean-coal technology, and the ability to fully capture and sequester the remaining GHG emissions. The Energy Plan also establishes the Innovative Clean Energy Fund. The fund will support the development of clean power and energy efficiency technologies in the electricity, alternative energy, transportation, and oil and gas sectors. In addition to providing environmental leadership on the supply of new electricity, the Energy Plan sets an ambitious conservation target. It challenges BC Hydro to acquire 50 percent of its additional electricity requirements through conservation efforts by 2020. BC Hydro and other utilities are encouraged to explore, develop and propose innovative rate designs that encourage efficiency, conservation and the development of clean or renewable energy. The Provincial Government will also work with industry, local governments and other stakeholders to prepare and implement cost effective energy efficiency standards for buildings, and establish an Industrial Energy Efficiency Program for British Columbia to address challenges and issues facing the provincial industrial sector. British Columbia needs more electricity. Provincial consumers use more electricity than the province produces. Through the Energy Plan, the Provincial Government will set policies that will enable British Columbia to return to being self-sufficient in electricity by 2016. These policies will support conservation and energy efficiency, and ensure a secure and reliable supply of affordable electricity that is produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.