Ten Cost-Neutral Ideas
to Encourage More Use of Sustainable Energy in BC
1. 100% Renewable Standard Portfolio. Upgrade the voluntary
commitment in BC Hydro’s Integrated Energy Plan that
50% of all new energy should be “clean” to a
mandatory requirement that 100% of all new energy be renewable,
applying to all electricity generators throughout BC.
2. Wind Energy. Put out a call for 5000 MW of wind energy,
to be operational by December 2009. Streamline the processes
for approval, and remove the artificial barriers, to maximize
the chance that 5,000 MW could be running in time for the
Winter Olympics.
3. Tidal, Wave and other Near Commercial Energy. Change
the BCUC rules that govern BC Hydro and other electricity
producers, so that they are allowed to pay tidal & wave
operators 20 cents kWh for the first 10 MW of tidal energy,
and for the first 10 MW of wave energy, for a period of (eg)
12 years. Apply a similar standard to other near commercials.
4. Grid Upgrade for Sustainable Energy Exports. Ask the
BC Transmission Corporation to undertake a study into the
long-term upgrade of the BC grid, grid storage systems, and
the Blaine Intertie, to accept major new supplies of energy
from renewables and future PV systems, and to enable British
Columbia, including Vancouver Island, to become a net renewable
energy exporter and income earner.
5. Solar Hot Water & Groundsource Heat. Invite BC electricity
and natural gas distributors (BC Hydro, Terasen) to offer
a loan scheme for people investing in solar hot water or
groundsource heating, with the repayments coming off the
hydro or gas bills in such a way that the cost is repaid
by the savings, and the expenditure is experienced as cost-neutral.
Alternatively, set it up as a government loan program, as
Alberta is doing.
6. Tax Deductibility. Make the cost of solar hot water,
ground source heat, solar PV installations and home energy
retrofits 100% tax deductible, spread over X years as a capital
investment allowance, as a measure of their effectiveness
in reducing the demand for power by increasing the supply
of available electricity.
7. Energy Efficiency. Remove the PST on a range of
products and services associated with residential and commercial
energy efficiency, such as heat pumps, drain waste heat recovery
units, high levels of insulation, energy upgrades following
an EnerGuide assessment, compact fluorescent and LED lightbulbs,
groundsource heat installations, Energy Star appliances, etc.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed instituting
a two weeks "green holiday" during which consumers
could purchase energy efficient products free of the state's
sales tax. The cost of such a move would be offset by the
sale of the freed up electricity to the USA. ($2.6 rising
to $5.8 million in 2007/8 in Pennsylvania, with 12.3 million
people). www.post-gazette.com/pg/04142/319686.stm
8. Public Buildings. Require all School Boards and other
publicly owned buildings to improve the energy efficiency
of their facilities by 30% above the 2004 level by 2010.
9. Building Code Upgrade. Upgrade the provincial building
code, and starting in 2008, made it apply to all buildings
upon sale or change of lease, as well as for new construction,
to accelerate the process of upgrading.
10. BCUC. Require BCUC to consider all environmental costs
in its review of energy options, and not only those that
can reasonably be expected to result in an immediate dollar
cost to the utility and ratepayers. Economic externalities
also have costs to the tax-payer which need to be accounted
for.
BC Sustainable Energy Association
www.bcsea.org 250-881-1304 July 8, 2004
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