The government British Columbia recently published a report on the current status, and forecasted future, of the province’s power grid.
The report, “Energizing our economy: B.C.’s Clean Power Action Plan,” spotlights the fact that 98% of the province’s electricity is generated from clean sources.
Published this month, the report introduces the “Clean Power Action Plan,” which is designed to ensure that our electricity system is equipped to enable economic growth and remain stable amidst increasing demand.
Specifically, the Action Plan orients around “five new transformative initiatives.”
Building on BC Hydro’s 2024 Call for Power, for example, which spurred several solar and wind projects, the entity is launching a 2025 edition.
Another initiative is issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest to explore the development of certain projects. BC Hydro intends to invite responses for the development of projects based around geothermal energy, pumped storage, or hydroelectric resources.
In addition, BC Hydro is issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest to identify “innovative clean-tech partners who can deliver cutting-edge, market-ready technologies to help people and businesses conserve energy.”
On that front, the provincial government is setting aside more than $12M through the Innovative Clean Energy Fund over three years as a call to support the development of B.C.-based cleantech solutions.
BC Hydro offers the third-lowest electricity rates in North America, according to the report, which outlines measures to maintain this level of affordability.
The Province has launched an electricity rate stability directive to the B.C. Utilities Commission to set BC Hydro’s rate increases for the next two years to “provide certainty and reaffirm the government’s commitment to keeping electricity rates below the cumulative rate of inflation.”
Despite Ontario giving the green light to four nuclear reactors, however, British Columbia intends to continue delivering energy to residents of the province without the use of nuclear.
“In keeping with the Clean Energy Act, BC Hydro will continue to meet its energy objectives without the use of nuclear power,” BC Hydro states in the report.