Latest news with #EnergyFuturesInstitute
Global News
a day ago
- Automotive
- Global News
Slowing sales raise questions about B.C.'s electric vehicle mandate
The British Columbia government is facing renewed questions about whether its aggressive electric vehicle (EV) sales mandates can be achieved. Under current B.C. law, 26 per cent of new light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. must be zero-emission by 2026, a figure climbing to 90 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035. B.C. has, to date, been a Canadian leader in EV adoption, with 24 per cent of new vehicle shoppers snapping one up in 2024. But that momentum has run into trouble. Both Ottawa and B.C. phased out their EV subsidies earlier this year, and the auto industry says sales dropped quickly afterward. 2:24 BIV: EV sales in Canada plummet over last year 'The first quarter, we were pushing 19 per cent in adoption rate. In April, it was down to 15 per cent … in May it's about flat with 15 per cent again, so the math is just not there to achieve the 26 per cent in 2026,' said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers' Association of B.C. Story continues below advertisement 'The 2030 number is virtually impossible.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Powering British Columbia's roads under a fully electric scenario is another concern. Barry Penner, chair of the Energy Futures Institute, said his group modelled the electricity needs B.C. would face if it did meet its 100 per cent adoption target by 2035. 'It would require, at full implementation, two more site C dams worth of electricity. And this year, we have been importing electricity,' Penner said. 'In the last couple of years, on average, we've imported 20 to 25 percent. Of our domestic electricity needs from outside the province.' Penner said consumer behaviour has also been shifting towards plug-in hybrids, which are cheaper, but have typically not qualified for government rebates. 3:48 B.C. electric vehicle rebate pause The Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. Story continues below advertisement However, Global News obtained a technical review of B.C.'s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act and Regulation, which appears to show the government is open to adjusting the program. The document shows the province is considering 'several changes' to the legislation 'to respond to current economic conditions, support affordability for consumers, and lessen pressures on automakers.' Those changes include revising the 2030 zero-emission sales targets, amending compliance ratios for battery electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, changing the percentage of plug-in hybrids dealers can sell under the law, and changing range requirements to ensure more vehicles qualify for credits. The document further notes that challenges to EV adoption still include range anxiety and vehicle price. 'They're more expensive on average than a non-electric vehicle. Some studies suggest about $8,000 per vehicle,' Penner said. 'Internal government polling shows almost 60 per cent of British Columbians say that's the number one problem buying an electric cars is the cost and yet what have they done? They've removed the rebate.' B.C. has been working to upgrade infrastructure; BC Hydro has installed about 600 fast chargers around the province, with more to come. 'And while the province has paused EV subsidies for now, the policy document hints that it is looking at 'new initiative agreement pathways to support affordability for consumers.' Story continues below advertisement The province is also conducting a wider review of its entire CleanBC program. Qualey said new rebates would help the situation, but argued that even with them in place, the targets are too aggressive. 'Ideally, we would like a pause on all of it right now to continue the conversation so the manufacturers, who are the obligated parties in all of this, can sit with government … (and determine) what targets are achievable,' he said.
Vancouver Sun
04-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Capacity crunch? B.C. Hydro seeks proposals for more backup power for provincial grid
With no new big dams of its own to build, B.C. Hydro on Wednesday threw open a window for private developers to propose new sources of 'baseload' power to backup the growing list of renewable electricity proposals it's enlisting to expand the province's grid. 'Baseload' refers to sources of power utilities can turn on or off as needed, such as B.C. Hydro's existing dams. With this, Hydro is considering possibilities for geothermal, pump-storage hydro or even grid-scale batteries as a means to meet peak demand when intermittent wind and solar sources are less reliable. B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix didn't put a number on the amount of electricity Hydro might be looking for in a request for expressions of interest, just that 'we want to see what's out there and get those proposals in place.' Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Dix, however, characterized the step as 'a moment when we have to build again to diversify, to build the economy and to create wealth,' not dissimilar to the period of B.C.'s dam-building boom in the 1960s and 1970s. 'This call for power, though, is about the growth of our economy, about the opportunities in mining, about the requests for power that are at an extremely high level,' Dix said. 'We've got to build out clean electricity, which is one of our significant economic advantages in B.C.' Critics of the government's energy policy, however, look at the announcement as evidence that the ambitions in government's Clean B.C. plan to electrify the economy are putting a strain on the province's electricity grid. 'This is an acknowledgment that B.C. Hydro is facing a capacity crunch,' said Barry Penner, executive director of the Energy Futures Institute and former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister. Penner's Energy Futures Institute is one of the groups that has questioned whether Hydro is keeping up with demand, particularly since B.C. Hydro is in the third year of drought conditions that have pushed it to being a net importer of electricity. B.C. Hydro's Site C dam, which is expected to be fully in commission by the end of this year, will add eight per cent to B.C.'s electricity supply. Dix added that the 10 independent power projects approved last fall will add another eight per cent, but won't start coming online until 2028. On Wednesday, Penner acknowledged that it makes sense for Hydro to explore the capacity of future options, such as geothermal, but it shouldn't discount the potential of the existing natural-gas-fired power generation that it has on hand now, but is planning on decommissioning as part of its Clean B.C. plan. Penner added that he was attending the Go Clean Energy Conference in Bend, Ore., as he spoke to Postmedia News, where representatives from California talked about that state's plans to pause its plans to get rid of natural-gas-fired plants in light of long-term drought. 'There is some policy cognitive dissonance, shutting down existing capacity when they say we need more,' Penner said. Conservative Opposition critic Larry Neufeld said 'we need to be far less scared of natural gas.' 'We have nothing against green energy whatsoever, the geothermal, the biogas he's talking about,' said Neufeld, who is also the Tory MLA for Peach River North. 'Our concern would be, though, that investing too much in one area leaves us open to not fulfilling the baseload (requirements) as fully as it should be.' However, Mark Zacharias, a special adviser to the think-tank Clean Energy Canada, said 'there are many sources, all of them are … feasible and should be cost-competitive over time.' Considering regulatory timelines, Zacharias said grid-scale batteries would be the quickest to roll out and 'costs at grid scale are just plummeting.' On geothermal, Zacharias said B.C. has a 'medium' potential for the method, which taps heat from underground to power steam turbines, and 'has been successfully used around the planet.' Wednesday's announcement also included a request for expressions of interest for ideas for energy efficiency, which would reduce electricity use. This component does include a target to reduce some 2,000 gigawatt-hours worth of electricity use, the equivalent of powering 200,000 homes, to free up power for potential new industrial users. Hydro CEO Chris O'Riley said the utility wants to talk with potential partners about new technologies that could expand its 'leading energy-efficiency programs.' 'We are looking beyond the near term and opening up exploration of the next chapter of B.C.'s energy future,' O'Riley said. depenner@
Vancouver Sun
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. car dealers brace for end of EV rebate as zero-emission targets remain in place
The pace of electric vehicle sales has slowed considerably over the past year in B.C. and could drop even further with the pausing of provincial rebates this week, which had offered up to $4,000 off the cost of eligible vehicles. The percentage of all new vehicle purchases that are electric has slid from 22.5 per cent in late 2024 to 18 per cent in February 2025, according to data compiled by Jerome Gessaroli for the Energy Futures Institute. According to Statistics Canada, EV sales across the country dropped 44 per cent in March compared to the same time last year, with both the federal government and Quebec pausing their rebate programs in the first two months of 2025. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The B.C. NDP government plan from 2017 to address climate change sets ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by 2040, although the most recent accountability report projects the government will only reach half of that goal. Part of that plan includes legislatively mandated EV targets, which require 90 per cent of all new vehicles sold in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035 to be zero emission. Leigh Heppner, general manager of Preston Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac in Langley, told Postmedia that the rebate had been successful in drawing customers toward EVs but that cost pressures are ramping up and the lack of a rebate is likely to drive down sales. He said the mandates are unrealistic and keeping them in place, with the rebate gone, has the potential to force manufacturers to reduce the number of gas-powered cars they import into the province. This could in turn reduce the number of vehicles dealerships are selling, hurting their bottom line, and forcing some British Columbians to go elsewhere for their business. 'I think that by restricting the supply of gas vehicles into the province, we aren't going to see an automatic uptick in EV sales,' said Heppner, who explained that manufacturers could also choose to pay the fine of up to $20,000 for not meeting the targets. 'As a dealer, we're caught in the middle, where we live with what the manufacturer decides to do. So if that's restrict supply, that's one factor, if it's pay the penalty, then at the end of the day, we know that that's going to work its way into the cost for the consumer in one way or another.' Blair Qualey, CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., added the industry already saw the costs added to vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic when supply chains broke down. Between 2019 and 2021, the average price of a new vehicle rose by 13 per cent, according to a report released earlier this year by Car Help Canada. Qualey said he hopes to see the province bring back the rebates and continue investments into charging stations and educating consumers on the benefit of electric vehicles. At the same time, he wants the province to back off on the mandates, which he said the industry will not be able to meet. Premier David Eby has acknowledged that target may not be achievable and that the legislation is under review. 'Their concerns are real,' the premier told reporters at the beginning of April, stating that Energy Minister Adrian Dix will examine the rebate program as part of a wider review of the CleanBC climate plan. Interim Green leader Jeremy Valeriote believes the rebate program was never meant to be permanent and that the price of an electric vehicle has come down enough that it may no longer be necessary. He said he would have preferred the rebate continue but that there are changes that could be made to make it more targeted. At the same time, he wants steps taken to ensure the province can reach its legislatively mandated EV targets and believes it is still possible despite the setbacks, stating that '10 years is a long time.' 'Yes, it's achievable. Yes, we need incentives, whether in the form of the rebates, or some other way of incentivizing it,' said Valeriote. 'We're meeting our target for now, and we need to keep adjusting and to make sure that we keep meeting those targets. I think 2035 is entirely possible with the way technology is moving.' However, even if the province can reach those targets there is some concern about whether B.C. has the electricity necessary to power those EVs. The province has been a net importer of power for the past two years, and Barry Penner, Energy Futures Institute chair and a former B.C. Liberal environment minister, said his institute's research estimates the government would need to build two more Site C dams just to meet EV energy demand. 'We're driving up electricity demand in British Columbia before we have dealt with our self-sufficiency issues,' said Penner. 'In other words, we are putting the cart before the horse.' For his part, Dix echoed Eby and Valeriote in saying that the province is on track to meet its target of 26 per cent new vehicles being zero-emission by 2026 and the goal is to find additional ways to encourage EV uptake. He said the federal government announced the end of their own rebate program in January, which had offered up to $5,000, and his government is focused on increasing the number of charging stations in B.C. The government says there are now over 7,000 charging stations around the province. 'We're continuing to work with everyone involved to ensure that people have an opportunity to purchase EVs, to see the advantage of EVs,' said Dix. 'For many people the key issue is not just an issue of price level, although that's an important question, the issue is of being able to use EVs across the province.'
Canada Standard
15-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Low Snowpack, Early Melt Could Force B.C. to Import Power from U.S.
British Columbia could be forced to buy electricity from the United States for the third summer in a row, an expert warns, after drier, warmer weather across much of the province last month contributed to an early melt. The local conditions raising concern for widespread drought this summer, The Canadian Press reports, citing the province's latest snowpack and water supply bulletin. The drought is curtailing B.C.'s ability to generate hydroelectricity, said former provincial environment minister Barry Penner, who now chairs the Energy Futures Institute. That puts B.C. is on track to become a net importer of electricity in 2025, buying it from the United States, for the third consecutive year. The power gap comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening Canadian sovereignty, and after Trump slapped steep tariffs on Canadian goods, Penner said. "We have someone in the White House who's actively threatening our country, economically," he told CP Monday. "And right now in B.C., it's us on the receiving end of (electricity) from the United States. It's not the other way around on a net basis." Penner likened snowpack to "electricity in the bank." In times of drought, he said provincial utility BC Hydro holds water in its reservoirs so it's there during peak periods. "They're holding back and importing to make up the difference." View our latest digests The latest provincial bulletin shows snowpack was an average of 71% of normal as of May 1, decreasing from 79% of normal on April 1. The figure is slightly higher than last year, when B.C.'s snowpack was an average of 66% of what would be normal on May 1. By early May, the bulletin said about 5% of B.C.'s annual snowpack has typically melted, but 15% was gone by the start of this month. The low snowpack, early snowmelt, and warm seasonal weather forecasts all point to "elevated drought" this summer, the bulletin concludes. Rivers on Vancouver Island, the South Coast, and in northeastern B.C., where snowmelt is not a significant contributor this spring, are flowing "at or near record low levels for early May," the bulletin notes. Penner said drought is a factor in B.C.'s declining electricity generation. "If you look at BC Hydro's annual reports, you can see it. We've had a significant reduction in how much electricity we're actually making." That drop coincides with growing demand for power, Penner said, noting peak demand in the summer is increasing as more people buy air conditioners. Last week, the B.C. government announced a second call for renewable power with a target of generating up to 5,000 gigawatt hours per year-just under the 5,100 gigawatt hours the massive Site C dam in northern B.C. is expected to generate. It follows a request for proposals in 2024 that resulted in 10 new renewable energy projects partly owned by First Nations. Penner said news of the second call so soon after the first is a signal the government is aware of a "serious issue" and it's trying to respond. Still, Penner said it will take some years for the projects to come online. The snowpack bulletin said spring and summer temperatures and precipitation will also be key factors that will influence drought conditions. Seasonal weather forecasts from Environment Canada in late April indicate a greater likelihood of above-normal temperatures in B.C. through July, it said. The bulletin said May is forecast to be wetter than normal in parts of northern B.C., but drier in the south. Snowpack levels on May 1 were under 60% or "well below" normal in the Upper Fraser West, Lower Thompson, Nicola, Bridge, Skagit, Central Coast, Similkameen, and Skeena-Nass basins, the bulletin said. There is no elevated flood risk based on the current snowpack. However, in areas with low snowpack, the bulletin notes key flood risks shift toward heavy rain, either short-duration events or prolonged periods of wet weather. "It is important to note that May and June are wet months through the B.C. Interior with the potential for extreme precipitation patterns," it said, adding the flood season can extend into July in the Rockies and the northeast. "Therefore, precipitation poses a flood risk through the spring even with limited snowpack," the bulletin said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2025. Source: The Energy Mix
Global News
14-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
Could B.C. be stuck importing power for a 3rd year? Drought and snowmelt prompt concerns
British Columbia could be left importing electricity for a third consecutive year, according to one industry expert. Ongoing drought conditions in the province are again cutting into B.C.'s ability to generate hydroelectric power, according to Energy Futures Institute chair and former environment minister Barry Penner. That will leave the province importing power from the U.S. once again, he said. 1:43 B.C. makes plea for more power 'What we've seen over the last couple of years is very disappointing snowpack, so that means we are behind the 8-ball for water to go into our reservoirs, and with BC Hydro being dependent on about 90 per cent hydroelectricity, if we don't have enough water, then we are not generating as much electricity as we normally would,' Penner said. Story continues below advertisement 'We're now entering into our third year of being a large net importer of electricity.' In fiscal year 2024, BC Hydro imported 13,600 gigawatt hours of electricity, about 25 per cent of its total power, at a cost of nearly $1.4 billion. The previous year, it imported about 10,000 gigawatt hours of electricity this year, about a fifth of its total load, at a cost of more than $450 million. 'We just began our fiscal year on April 1, so it really is way too soon to say if we will be a net importer or a net exporter this year; it really does depend on precipitation,' BC Hydro spokesperson Mora Scott told Global News. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'While we have seen drought conditions ease, the province did remove drought classifications on nearly all watersheds across the province last fall, we do know that snowpack this year is below average. It is something we are obviously keeping a close eye on.' Much of the power came from the U.S. and Alberta, where it was generated by burning fossil fuels. 1:48 BC Hydro imports record amount of electricity Opposition Leader John Rustad pinned the blame on the NDP government, who he said scrapped legislation that required B.C. to be energy self-sufficient under former premier John Horgan. Story continues below advertisement 'Now, unfortunately, we are going to be paying the piper,' he said. Rustad said the U.S. Pacific Northwest is expected to be a net importer of power itself starting in 2027, meaning B.C. won't be able to buy electricity from the south. 'So when you look at the fact that we are now continually being reliant on buying power from the United States, especially the fact that Site C is coming on stream right now, that puts us in an incredibly vulnerable situation,' he said. 'Wind and solar is great to add the mix, but we need to get serious about power generation in British Columbia.' But B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said the figures don't paint a full picture of the situation, adding that in eight of the last 16 years the province has been a net exporter. 2:07 BC Hydro importing power as drought drags on in province's northeast Dix said that while drought is currently having an effect, B.C. has still turned a net profit on electricity in the last half-decade. Story continues below advertisement 'The power we export is worth way more than the power we import, such that the last five years, even though we've been importing more, we make $550 million for the ratepayers on the exchange,' he said. That's because B.C.'s power is stored as water in hydroelectric dams, meaning the province can import power when it is cheap and export it when it is expensive. 'That is why we have had electricity rates 12 per cent lower than inflation since this government came to office,' he said. The province is, however, focused on increasing electrical generating capacity, Dix said, pointing to its recent calls for private investment in new power projects. The province has approved nine new Indigenous-led wind power projects that will be eligible for fast-tracked permitting, and which it says will produce the equivalent amount of electricity as the Site-C dam. Site C will come fully online by the end of this year, while the wind projects are projected to be completed towards the end of the decade. The province launched a second call for power this year and aims to award those electricity purchase agreements early next year.
