Conservation, Efficiency & Public Policy

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BC Hydro's Electricity Conservation & Efficiency (EC&E) Advisory Committee was established in 2006 to provide advice on BC Hydro's conservation and efficiency initiatives, as well as to generate new ideas to inspire a conservation culture in B.C. In order to concentrate on specific areas of interest and opportunities for energy conservation, the EC&E Advisory Committee has created a number of Working Groups who are responsible for reporting back to the larger committee with their recommendations.

One of the opportunities is the role of public policy in energy conservation and efficiency. The EC&E Advisory Committee established the Government Policy Enablers Working Group to determine how best to encourage all levels of government – local and First Nation, provincial and federal – to change existing policies, legislation or regulations to provide greater support for energy conservation and efficiency projects.

"The purpose of the Government Policy Enablers Working Group under the auspices of the BC Hydro EC&E Advisory Committee is to investigate, identify and make recommendations on how BC Hydro can best partner and influence different levels of government to accomplish energy conservation and efficiency goals for BC communities," said Toby Lau, BC Hydro's Manager of Codes & Standards.

The participants were tasked with defining the key barriers to energy conservation and efficiency that could be addressed through government policy; preparing case studies of successful collaborative efforts between public utilities and policymakers in other jurisdictions; and devising a method for BC Hydro and the EC&E Advisory Committee to work jointly with governments to develop policy solutions.

The Government Policy Enablers Working Group includes representation from the City of Vancouver; environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs); the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; Natural Resources Canada; Pembina Institute; and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

The Working Group started in 2009 by defining its mandate, determining deliverables, and drafting a work plan. The Working Group is now focusing its attention on a number of key projects, including: expedited permitting, local improvement charges, development permit area regulations and the Merton Rule, which requires the use of renewable energy onside to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment. Final recommendations are expected in June 2011.

What our participants had to say

"I have chosen to participate in the Government Policy Enablers Working Group because I want to use my expertise in local government to assist BC Hydro in moving forward initiatives that will be implemented by local, provincial and federal governments resulting in a net reduction of energy consumption in the Province of British Columbia."
Noreen Guenther, Councillor for Lake Country

"We need all levels of government pointing in the same direction if we're going to produce fair and effective solutions to our energy and climate change challenges. The initial efforts of this Working Group are aimed at supporting, strengthening, and accelerating the innovative solutions that are beginning to emerge from local governments in B.C."
Matt Horne, Director of the B.C. Energy Solutions Program, Pembina Institute