TORONTO — Rachel Doran, executive director of Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to the release of the CleanBC review panel’s recommendations to the B.C. government on how to improve its CleanBC climate plan.
“The province’s CleanBC plan was created seven years ago, and since then climate-change-causing emissions in the province have declined by around 9% on a per capita basis for the most recent year we have data, a reminder that real action produces real results. Accordingly, it’s helpful that the panel’s recommendations focus on a renewal rather than a retreat of CleanBC.
“However, the existing climate plan largely focused on near-term emissions reductions as its metric of success, and while this has made sense and ensured accountability, it is ultimately the deployment and adoption of transformative climate solutions—from EVs and heat pumps to wind turbines and a smarter electricity grid—that will make a net-zero future possible.
“We therefore agree with the review panel that the next phase of CleanBC should pair targets that are ambitious but achievable with new progress indicators more focused on the delivery and benefits of climate solutions. This can go hand in hand with emissions reductions, but success needs to be measured not simply by the climate pollution emitted today, but also by the deployment of cost-saving technologies, the investments made by net-zero industries, and the build-out of our clean electricity system. In other words, on tangible actions with real benefits for British Columbians.
“The panel highlights B.C.’s ability to produce affordable and reliable electricity and that this is the province’s competitive advantage. Cheap, clean electricity has been the backbone of B.C.’s economy for many decades, and while Canada has the lowest electricity rates among G7 countries, B.C. does even better with the third-lowest electricity bills in North America. The panel correctly urges the province to ‘go big’ on clean electricity, which aligns with Premier David Eby’s desire to be a ‘clean energy superpower.’
“The disconnect, however, is that BC Hydro’s October 2025 Integrated Resource Plan, a thoughtful but not visionary plan to build B.C.’s electrified future, would leave the province short of power if various proposed nation-building projects move forward. Reducing British Columbians’ energy bills is central to the panel’s recommendations, and benefitting households should always be a priority use of our electricity.
“It is useful then to see the panel’s recommendations that a revised CleanBC plan should continue to help homeowners and renters shift to cleaner, cost-saving technologies. Support to maintain and strengthen building retrofit programs, EV sales incentives, and measures to speed up heat pump adoption are critical and, as the panel points out, can be largely offset using revenues from revenue-generating aspects of B.C.’s climate plan.
“Many EV drivers and heat pump owners across the province are already saving thousands of dollars a year on energy costs. And we know that more than half of British Columbians and seven in 10 Metro Vancouverites are inclined to go electric for their next car, an encouraging finding the province can help realize. Our research found similarly positive results when it comes to interest in heat pumps and energy smart homes.
“In the last few weeks, we have seen an Integrated Resource Plan for the electricity system, a new economic vision for the province, and an independent assessment of how B.C. can maintain climate leadership, all of which portray different versions of B.C.’s future. Acting on the panel’s recommendations would help send a clear signal that electrification and climate action are at the heart of securing a more affordable and competitive B.C.”
RESOURCES
CleanBC Insights Series | Positioning British Columbia’s Energy System for Decarbonization and Increased Competitiveness (Authored by Clean Energy Canada for the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions)
CleanBC Insights Series | Pathways to Accelerating Household Clean Technology Adoption Across British Columbia (Authored by Clean Energy Canada for the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions)
Report | Empowering Households
