Posted by John Rustad
October 01, 2024

BACKGROUNDER

Powering BC

The NDP has a problem: they like to ban things, but not build things. 

Eby’s government is imposing radical, top-down restrictions on the types of technology that people need to power their daily lives. At the same time, they are failing to invest in the new generating capacity required to meet their own goals.

BC is uniquely gifted with an abundance of the world’s cleanest energy resources. Successive governments have committed to using them to provide British Columbians with clean, affordable, and homegrown power. It’s just common sense.

The NDP estimates that their policies will double BC’s electricity needs by 2050 - and they have no plan to produce it. That means BC will be facing power shortages, reliance on imports, lower living standards, or all of the above. The public has been kept in the dark for too long, and the path forward must begin with an honest conversation about BC’s energy reality, and the options available to secure an energetic future.

Instead of gambling our future away on ideological experiments, The Conservative Party of BC will seize the opportunity to make our province a leader in clean, affordable, and reliable energy. If a technology can help us advance these goals, it should be honestly and transparently evaluated.

We will get the most out of our existing infrastructure, upgrade the power grid, and build the generating capacity that’s best-suited to power BC’s future.

 

Affordability, reliability, and energy independence

Historically, British Columbians have taken pride in our electricity independence. Only under the NDP’s watch has that changed.

In 2020, Eby’s cabinet formally abandoned the goal of self-sufficiency - and reliance on foreign imports skyrocketed. In 2023 BC imported 17% of our electricity needs, at a cost of nearly $500 million. 

Eby’s activism is setting-up BC for energy unaffordability and unreliability. What BC needs is a common sense approach to power production centered around affordability, reliability, and independence. To achieve this, the Conservative Party of BC will:

  • Reverse the NDP’s radical plans to ban natural gas heating and non-electric vehicles. BC needs more resilience in its energy mix, not less, and people should get to choose what technology works best for them.
  • Build trust and energy literacy by having an honest and transparent conversation with British Columbians. There is no path forward if the public is kept in the dark about BC’s energy reality; we will ensure British Columbians understand the challenges ahead, alongside the costs and benefits of all available solutions to power BC’s future.
  • Accelerate BC Hydro’s 10-year transmission and distribution capital plan to keep pace with population growth and proactive maintenance needs.
  • Support BC Hydro’s drought resilience efforts, which include capital projects and improved forecasting and monitoring technology.
  • Consider all power sources that could keep BC’s energy mix independent, low cost, and green.
  • Work with First Nations as partners in BC’s energy future.

Lifting the prohibition on nuclear power research and generation

A September 2024 Ipsos poll found that nearly 60% of BC residents are open to nuclear power, but the NDP government has refused to update outdated legislation which prohibits nuclear from even being considered in our energy mix.

The Conservative Party of BC will review all sources of electricity generation, including nuclear, with a goal to map out BC’s future energy needs for decades to come.

Globally, nuclear energy already provides nearly 1/5th of electricity in advanced economies. And the promising new technology of small modular reactors (SMRs) has the potential to provide clean and reliable energy with less construction time, less land consumption, lower costs, and vastly reduced ecological footprint compared to larger projects.

Following the international scientific consensus that nuclear is one of the very few ways to reliably produce clean electricity at the scale needed to sustain modern living standards, the Conservative Party of BC will: 

  • Amend the Clean Energy Act to allow for nuclear power in the province’s energy mix.
  • Put safety first by conducting a comprehensive review of small modular reactor (SMR) seismic hazard resilience.
  • Expand the British Columbia Energy Regulator’s mandate to include nuclear power.
  • Become a partner in Canada’s Small Modular Reactor Action Plan alongside Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Ontario, New Brunswick and PEI.
  • Commit to having a small modular reactor operating by 2035 - if and only if the business case makes sense, seismic safety is addressed, and the idea has the confidence of the public.

Ontario, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan already have small modular reactor (SMR) project plans underway. SMR can be used for on-grid power generation, heavy industry, and in remote communities that currently rely heavily on diesel.

 

Renewables

BC should be proud of its hydroelectric power system, which provides renewable, affordable and clean energy. Our dams have been the backbone of BC’s energy independence, and will continue to be supported by a Conservative government.

Energy underpins every facet of life. Our choice of technology to produce energy must be guided by what is best for BC, not ideology. Conservatives believe all renewable energy technologies should be considered as long as they can produce affordable energy when and where British Columbians need it.

The Conservative Party of BC will:

  • Get the most out our hydroelectric dams by supporting BC Hydro in capital upgrades that add capacity and extend lifespans.
  • Analyze the business case for geothermal power generation. 16 potential sites have been identified in BC, which have the potential to produce clean and reliable electricity.
  • Support the development of alternative renewable energy where and when the economics make sense for BC – including wind, solar, and run-of-river hydroelectricity.
  • Support the expansion of hydrogen production and refueling capacity as long as taxpayers can realize a return on investment.

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An energetic future

We are blessed to live in a region with the opportunity and the resources needed to achieve energy independence. Conservatives will rise to the occasion, and power a clean and affordable future for an energy-independent BC.