VICTORIA — Mark Zacharias, executive director at Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to the energy-related aspects of the Green Party of British Columbia’s 2024 platform:
“The Green Party of British Columbia’s energy plan puts a big focus on the benefits that electrification could bring to communities across the province, and it is the only party so far to suggest that the B.C. taxpayer should not be subsidizing electricity used by LNG companies.
“The plan recognizes the vital role skilled labour will play in building out necessary energy resources, the importance of advancing Indigenous reconciliation through equity partnership requirements, and the need to integrate more renewables into B.C.’s grid (a move that is key for ensuring clean, low-cost power into the future). It also provides support for key electrification technologies including heat pumps and EVs, especially for commercial fleets.
“Notable in the Green Party’s platform, and linked to their energy plan, is the lack of a greenhouse gas reduction target. Without a stated climate target, the energy plan lists a suite of measures that the party will take if they form government, but with no indication of level of ambition or timing. As an example, the plan commits to increasing the availability of heat pumps for lower-income households but without a target and when the target will be achieved.
“Additionally, the individual commitments in the plan are not connected via a clear overarching vision of B.C.’s future energy system. While offering some supportive policies, there is little acknowledgement of the importance that household solutions, like EVs and heat pumps, play in cutting household bills and helping British Columbians with the cost of living. In fact, a forthcoming Clean Energy Canada report shows that a typical household transitioning from a natural gas furnace to a heat pump is expected to save B.C. households $550 per year.
“There is also no clear vision for how the party would build B.C.’s energy system to support clean economic growth and attract investment. Specifically, it lacks a detailed plan for how it will expand the province’s grid capacity to support a net-zero 2050.
“Overall, many of the plan’s component parts are aligned with meaningfully advancing climate action. However, the platform is missing a more detailed strategy that brings them together to address some of our province’s most pressing issues.
“Clean Energy Canada will also be responding to energy plans from the British Columbia New Democratic Party and has already done so for the Conservative Party of British Columbia.”
