Category: General commentary

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC), BC’s largest natural gas distribution company, announced it has applied to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to build a liquified natural gas (LNG) storage and send-out facility in Kelowna. If approved, the facility will meet the needs of gas customers in the Okanagan when FortisBC reaches its maximum capacity in the…

A lot has changed since the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) reviewed the Site C project in 2017. How does the BCUC’s analysis look with the benefit of hindsight? Disclosure: I was one of the four commissioners on the panel in this inquiry. Background Site C is the working name of BC Hydro’s latest hydro-electric dam,…

BC’s Auditor General recently warned that future government directions regarding BC Hydro’s net income are a “risk area” for the provincial accounts, which have twice been qualified as a result of the government overriding the independence of the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC). On July 15, 2024, the BC government ordered the BCUC to allow BC…

On July 15, 2024, the BC government ordered the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to allow BC Hydro’s regulated net income to remain at $712 million a year for an additional two years – until March 31, 2027. The government overriding the BCUC’s ability to regulate BC Hydro is becoming all too familiar. In fact, BC’s…

Section 7.1 of the Climate Change Accountability Act obliges the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to “make public no later than the end of June” the provincial government’s Climate Change Accountability Report. As I write this (July 13, 2024), the relevant ministry web page hasn’t been updated since November 30, 2023, and shows…

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) just announced that, as of July 1, 2024, it will be the “first energy utility in North America to automatically designate Renewable Natural Gas for customers.” What does this mean, and what will it cost? Is there a cheaper alternative? Introduction FEI is by far the largest natural gas distributor in…

BC is fixing its near-term electricity shortage, but there is potential for a much larger deficit if we want to expand LNG and mining production and also achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Unless this is addressed, the BC government will face some unwanted trade-offs between its environmental and economic goals. Introduction BC Hydro…

The program will promote the adoption of EVs in BC, but ratepayers face paying a hidden $289 million subsidy to fund a cheaper overnight rate. The details This month sees the launch of BC Hydro’s “time-of-use” rate. Residential customers will have the option of receiving cheaper electricity in the overnight hours, in return for paying…

BC Hydro’s Integrated Resource Plan does not take seriously enough the possibility of a large increase in demand for electricity, and treats the government’s CleanBC Plan as a “risk” rather than established policy. The BCUC’s review was not forceful enough in pointing this out. Introduction A recent report by Clean Energy Canada evaluated the Canadian…

Here’s a further update to my recent article on the future of rooftop solar and net metering in BC. My thanks to a reader who shared the source information from a recent BC Hydro net metering consultation session. It’s good news for net metering fans. As recently as February 2020, BC Hydro was arguing that…