A coalition has been formed in British Columbia with the goal of keeping energy “affordable and dependable.”
The BC Coalition for Affordable Dependable Energy (BC CADE) was launched on Wednesday.
BC CADE director Bill Tieleman said the coalition is drawing support from many different sectors including small and large businesses, labour and non-profit organizations.
He said everyone is concerned that an early municipal imposition of the Zero Carbon Step Code regulations will dramatically raise energy costs for the public and businesses while increasing dependence on energy created solely through electricity.
The Zero Carbon Step Code was first introduced on May 1, 2023, as an update to the BC Building Code.
By 2030, the province said new constructions will have to be zero carbon, and will need to move away from natural gas.
Currently, BC Hydro estimates that only 19 per cent of B.C.’s total energy is supplied by electricity, Tieleman said.
“At a time when BC Hydro had to import $500 million worth of electricity last year due to droughts, it’s time to ensure British Columbians have choices available to provide energy to heat their homes, cook their food and run their businesses, (and) to not to block energy sources that may be critical to our province,” Tieleman said.
The founding members of the coalition include the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association, the Surrey Board of Trade, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Restaurants Canada, among others.
“Our goal is to make sure British Columbians know that decisions being made by municipal governments have already taken away residents’ energy choices in several large cities like Vancouver, Nanaimo, Richmond and Victoria and that others are considering doing the same, with little input from the citizens and businesses that will be negatively affected,” Tieleman said.
Members of the coalition, like the BC Restaurants and Foodservices Association, said that natural gas and renewable natural gas are critical for their respective industries.
“Natural gas, and eventually renewable natural gas, is a critical and affordable cornerstone of our $18-billion restaurant industry,” Ian Tostenson, BC Restaurants and Foodservices Association’s CEO and president, said.
“It fuels the diversity and ethnicity of kitchens throughout B.C. The conversion of our industry to electricity would render us practically inoperable and financially devastated.”
Nanaimo was one of the most recent cities to vote in favour of speeding up zero carbon requirements in new buildings.
Councillors in Nanaimo argued quick action needs to be taken to reduce emissions.
However, that was met with a wave of opposition, including from Fortis BC.