BC’s Clean Energy Act sets out BC’s energy objectives, and contains a series of provisions that govern or constrain the BCUC, BC Hydro and other public utilities.

Some key provisions of the Clean Energy Act are:

• Section 2 sets out BC’s energy objectives, which are referred to in various sections of the Utilities Commission Act, namely 44.1 (long-term resource planning), 44.2 (expenditure schedules), 46 (certificate of public convenience and necessity), and 71 (energy supply contracts).

• Section 6 obligates BC Hydro to be self-sufficient.

• Section 7 exempts various BC Hydro projects such as its Site C dam from the need for a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the BCUC.

• Section 8 obligates the BCUC to allow BC Hydro to collect the cost of self-sufficiency and exempt projects in rates.

• Section 18 obligates the BCUC to allow public utilities to collect in rates the cost of any prescribed undertakings, as defined in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation, and prevents the BCUC directly or indirectly preventing public utilities carrying out prescribed undertakings.