1069 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Eby will be making an announcement today at Picnic Point regarding either clean energy policy or a project.

[Victoria Watcher]

We should have a hydro plant at the reversing falls on The Gorge. It produces AC when it runs one way, and DC the other way.

[Mike K.]

Here's the release. According to the release, of the ten wind and solar projects selected last year, "Nearly all the projects have First Nations majority ownership."

 

From the province:

 

The Province, in partnership with BC Hydro, is launching an ambitious plan to harness British Columbia’s clean-electricity advantage, driving economic growth and transformative change, strengthening energy security and advancing climate action.

 

“With this work, we are securing our energy and our economy for the future by expanding one of our greatest assets: abundant clean electricity,” said Premier David Eby. “We are boosting our clean-energy supply, powering our growing communities and industries, and creating thousands of family-supporting jobs – all while advancing reconciliation and reducing pollution. Perhaps most importantly, this will help build a strong foundation for our province and our country at a time of external threats to our sovereignty and prosperity.”

 

The Clean Power Action Plan is a forward-thinking strategy to leverage B.C.’s clean-electricity advantage, ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for British Columbia. With five transformative initiatives, the plan aims to accelerate economic growth, while securing long-term energy stability for generations to come:

 

launching a second call for power to acquire a target of up to 5,000 gigawatt-hours per year of energy from large, clean and renewable projects in partnership with First Nations and independent power producers – enough to power 500,000 new homes. This builds on the success of the 2024 call for power, which resulted in 10 new renewable-energy projects, with First Nations asset ownership between 49% and 51%, capable of powering about 500,000 new homes;

opening up the opportunity to explore B.C.’s power potential through a request for expressions of interest exploring capacity and firm, baseload electricity projects to deliver for peak demand periods and to provide back-up intermittent energy resources;

ushering in an expanded era of energy efficiency by partnering with innovators through a request for expressions of interest to deliver market-ready demand-side management technologies that help people and businesses save energy and money;

investing more than $12 million from the B.C. Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) fund in a targeted three-year call for new, made-in-B.C. clean-energy technologies that will combat climate change and create sustainable jobs; and

streamlining connections to B.C.’s grid to enable new homes and businesses to access clean electricity faster and less expensively.

“Uncertain times demand bold, decisive action, and we need to respond with urgency and with confidence and turn adversity into opportunity,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “Our commitment to strengthening energy security and building a resilient electricity system will unlock critical economic opportunities, foster innovation, deepen collaboration with First Nations and reaffirm B.C.’s leadership in climate action.”  

 

These initiatives build on actions underway, including setting BC Hydro rate increases at 3.75% for the next two years to provide stable, affordable rates, while enabling significant investments, offering new optional rates to help residential customers save, and implementing BC Hydro’s $36-billion 10-year capital plan to expand and reinforce electricity infrastructure throughout the province.

 

Beyond driving economic development and ensuring energy security, the Clean Power Action Plan also supports electrification – the transition from fossil fuels to clean electricity in homes, businesses, industry and transportation, a key pillar of the CleanBC climate strategy.

 

“Through collaboration with government, First Nations, and the clean-energy sector, BC Hydro is making significant investments and seeking new partnerships to secure B.C.’s clean-energy future,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO, BC Hydro. “The initiatives in the Clean Power Action Plan will set the stage for an increased renewable, reliable and resilient energy supply to support our growing province in the years ahead. At the same time, we remain committed to affordability by offering customers more ways to save energy and money, while maintaining stable, predictable rates.”

 

By taking action today, the Province and BC Hydro are laying the foundation for a cleaner, stronger and more resilient future. Through strategic investments, innovation and collaboration, British Columbia is poised to lead in sustainable-energy development, while driving economic progress. As the Clean Power Action Plan moves forward, it will continue to empower communities, create opportunities and secure the province’s place as a leader in clean energy and climate action.

 

Quote:

 

Kwatuuma Cole Sayers, executive director, Clean Energy Association of British Columbia (CEBC) –

 

“The 2024 call for power was historic, showing what’s possible when First Nations, industry, and government collaborate to deliver clean electricity, drive investment, and advance reconciliation. Today’s announcement builds on that momentum with a second call and plan that prioritizes Indigenous equity, local energy solutions and jobs, and sustainable economic growth. CEBC applauds the Province for its continued leadership and remains committed to building a clean and equitable future for all British Columbians.”

 

Quick Facts:

 

The 10 wind and solar projects selected through BC Hydro’s 2024 call for power will power 500,000 homes and increase electricity supply by 8%.

These projects represent up to $6 billion in private capital spending throughout the province and will create approximately 2,000 jobs during construction.

Nearly all the projects have First Nations majority ownership – representing up to $3 billion of asset ownership by First Nations.

BC Hydro is investing more than $700 million over the next three years in energy-efficiency tools, technology and programs, which is expected to result in 2,000 gigawatt-hours per year of electricity savings, or enough to power 200,000 homes.

Since 2008, the B.C. Innovative Clean Energy Fund has committed more than $124 million to support pre-commercial clean-energy technology projects, clean-energy vehicles, research and development, and energy-efficiency programs.

BC Hydro’s residential, commercial and industrial rates are the third lowest in North America (among 22 utilities surveyed in Hydro Quebec’s 2024 Rates Comparison Report).

[Mike K.]

Good times ahead for BC taxpayers:

Last week, British Columbia’s NDP government announced that its signature CleanBC program, intended to reduce carbon emissions 40 per cent below 2007 levels by the end of the decade, is going to miss its 2030 emissions-reduction target by a wide margin. In fact, just half of the intended reduction is expected to be met.

…

Without the ability to meet its own electricity needs, British Columbians will go into the future with higher energy bills, and industry will think twice about investing in a province in which electricity is no longer cheap.

Drought and a persistently low annual snow-pack are gutting BC Hydro, the Crown corporation responsible for producing the hydroelectricity that powers most of the province. Last year, a staggering 25 per cent of all the electricity used in B.C. was imported from outside the province, at a cost of nearly $1.4 billion.

The great irony of this is how it undercuts the CleanBC plan. The imported electricity comes from the United States and Alberta, and is largely generated from fossil fuels. Turning on the lights in supposedly green B.C. still contributes to emissions if that power comes from higher-emitting sources.

…


In 2023, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation warned that B.C. will be facing a severe electricity shortage as early as next year if drought conditions and warmer winters continue to slash the ability of BC Hydro to produce power.

…

Under initiatives like CleanBC and other bullheaded drives for electrification, B.C. consumers are barrelling towards a cost trap. Either through government debt charges or monthly electricity bills, B.C. consumers are going to bear the brunt of this arbitrary misalignment of supply and demand.

Nothing will delegitimize electrification and green initiatives in the public eye more effectively than worsening the cost of living crisis. Recalibration is in the best interest of British Columbians and the provincial government.

- https://nationalpost...ng-power-supply

If only we had something like natural gas in BC.

[dasmo]

Sounds like we need to move up the deadline to make all cars on the electrical grid!!!
Don’t worry folks. The government has control of the climate, the economy, house prices, homelessness and drug abuse. Just give them a little more time and money.

[Mike K.]

Forcing all new homes to exclusively rely on hydro ought to help.

[LJ]

General Fusion is getting close to producing nuclear fusion, that will obviate every other form of power supply if it comes to fruition. They are a BC company.

 

https://generalfusion.com/

[dasmo]

I’ll bet $500 we don’t see that commercialized in our lifetimes.

[LJ]

If you die before me do I get the $500?

[Victoria Watcher]

[lanforod]

Does rooftop solar make sense here now? I’ve got doorknockers selling it…

[max.bravo]

The devil is in the details. If you’ve got good south facing real estate and no tree shade, then probably. Especially because you can pay for it with a 0% federal loan.

Adjust any of those factors and it makes less sense.

[Victoria Watcher]

The devil is in the details. If you’ve got good south facing real estate and no tree shade, then probably. Especially because you can pay for it with a 0% federal loan.

Adjust any of those factors and it makes less sense.

$40,000 interest-free loan program:

https://natural-reso...ener-homes-loan

[Mike K.]

I keep harping on this topic and I know it steps on toes, but I have a unique inside scoop on solar, and can confirm it absolutely does NOT make sense if you’re looking to do it as a practical solution and not a political statement.

If it made sense, you’d have people literally screaming from their rooftops how great of a solution it has been for them. But instead, we hear absolutely nothing once the novelty dies down and the homeowner realizes what they’re up against. It gets even trickier for them if they decide to sell their home.

[dasmo]

$40,000 interest-free loan program:

https://natural-reso...ener-homes-loan

So not. Not unless you can’t get electricity access any other way. Or you just want it like you want an expensive car. Or you think the days of cheap electricity will end very soon. I want it to be energy independent but to do that requires batteries which is even more expensive and I have only OK conditions. 20 years to pay for it vs renting electricity for the same cost and no maintenance? I would need to be rich enough that I didn’t care about it making financial sense.

[lanforod]

My issues is: if its a wash financially, what's the point? 

 

Factors that make it less attractive to me:

• Rooftop solar panels don't look nice (subjective, but yeah... in my case, the south facing roof is also the road facing side, I'd be more inclined to do this if my house faced the other way). I wish those solar roof shingles had taken off... 
• Your roof will be 'under construction' for the 6-10 weeks install.
• If your roof itself needs to be replaced in less than the 25 year shelf life of the panels, thats a problem. If you're going to do this, it seems to make sense to line it up with when you next replace your roof.
• Financially, if its approximately a wash over 25 years after the 5k rebate and the 0% loan, the only incentive is 'green' energy, which in BC isn't much of a factor.
• Financially, the costs have come down a lot over the years. Could it not keep coming down? I get there is a lower bound, but the hardware itself is still getting cheaper, right?

Battery capability is extra and irrelevant. You can add battery capability without going solar (though there are economic benefits to doing both at the same time as you have some duplication of hardware, like your inverter).
Another x factor - Tesla hardware is not permitted for the 5k rebate.

[Mike K.]

Batteries are very relevant with any alternative power generation. You don’t want the energy going to waste.

[max.bravo]

It takes 2-3 days to install a typical residential <10kW solar setup, not 6-10 weeks.

If you’re grid tied, the grid is your “battery”

imo solar makes sense if you have good exposure, if you’re grid tied and selling your excess summer generation for a good price, and if you’re a heavy consumer of hydro. With EVs and a hot tub, for example. And if you can pay for it at 0%

Where it doesn’t make sense is if you have a poor condition roof, shaded by trees, you don’t use much hydro anyway, and you’re not grid tied.

[Mike K.]

They don’t pay you what they charge you, though. If it was 1:1 it would make more sense. But currently you pay either 100% or almost 140% more depending on the tier, no? They buy back at 6 cents?

Once they implement time of day rates that disparity will grow even wider, as you’ll generate power when you’re not needing it, only to consume it in the evening at the highest tiered rate via hydro. Instead you could bank it yourself and use it when rates are highest.

25 years is a very long time, lots can change in that time. And lots will break.

[max.bravo]

Not true. It’s currently 1:1 buy/sell pricing with hydro’s self generation program if you choose that rate schedule.

They used to guarantee to grandfather you in that rate when rates change in the future, but currently you will get the 1:1 rate if you install solar today. How long that lasts? Hard to say. BCH seems onboard to promote solar uptake right now, but just a few years ago they acted like solar was their competitor. So it’s hard to get a read.