Climate action and the energy transition will be a hot topic in the upcoming British Columbia election campaign. Former cabinet ministers, a past party leader, industry and energy experts in BC are coming together to support Energy Storage Canada’s election platform for all political parties and candidates.
“B.C. is a proud leader in climate action,” says former B.C. Green Party Leader and climate scientist Andrew Weaver, in a news release. “Energy storage is essential to maximizing the ability of renewable energy, and building out renewable energy is essential to climate action.”
“Energy Storage Canada members are at the forefront of the energy transition and need government to ensure that BC’s electrical grid remains reliable, renewable and affordable with diverse energy storage resources,” says former B.C. New Democrat energy minister, Michelle Mungall who is now the Senior Advisor for BC Initiatives at Energy Storage Canada. “Our plan lays out concrete actions any government can take so that British Columbians will continue to rely on clean renewable electricity well into the future.”
Energy Storage Canada has six recommendations for immediate action that will unlock the full benefits energy storage has for B.C.’s electrical grid and economy. The next government will need to make legislative, regulatory and permitting changes to ensure proper siting and infrastructure development while also implementing tax credits and skills training to grow this important industry.
Capacity procurement at BC Hydro will be necessary to both support peak demands and maximize existing transmission infrastructure. This type of investment reduces long term system costs and helps to keep rates low.
Also critical will be increased funding for the BC Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative so that remote and indigenous off-grid communities can meet provincial goals in transitioning from diesel power to renewable energy plus storage.
“BC has a generational opportunity to unlock economic activity across the Province as we build our energy system,” says Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, Vice President Corporate Relations at Innergex and Board Chair at Clean Energy BC. “ We recognize the critical role that Indigenous Peoples play in facilitating and advancing the clean energy transition.”
“British Columbians want clean, renewable energy sources, and electricity demand is growing fast,” states Dan Woynillowicz, Principal of Polaris Strategy and Insight and former member of the government’s BC Hydro Task Force. “To meet this demand the next government needs to ensure diverse storage resources are part of a program to keep the lights on and rates low.”