B.C. Business Incentives

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Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Investment Tax Credits (ITCs)  

Canada Revenue Agency

10% ITC on qualifying SR&ED expenditures incurred in British Columbia.

Venture Capital Programs

British Columbia Ministry of Small Business Technology and Economic Development

Eligible Business Corporation (EBC): 30% tax credit for corporations investing in an EBC.

Venture Capital Corporation (VCC): 30% tax credit for corporations investing in a VCC that invests in an eligible small business (ESB) or an EBC.

Material and equipment used to conserve energy

British Columbia Ministry of Finance

Provincial sales tax exemption for material and equipment used to conserve energy or produce electricity from renewable sources. Expiry dates vary.

Alternative fuel vehicles

British Columbia Ministry of Finance

PST exemption for acquisition or lease of new alternative fuel vehicles and conversion kits for existing vehicles.

Motor fuel tax concessions

British Columbia Ministry of Finance

Exemption or reduced fuel tax rates for cleaner, more environmentally friendly motor fuels.

LiveSmart BC home energy efficiency incentives

LiveSmart BC

LiveSmart BC small business energy efficiency incentives

LiveSmart BC

Power Smart Programs for Commercial Businesses

BC Hydro

New Construction Program: Funding and rebates to develop a high-performance design and install energy efficient lighting and appliances in new commercial multi-unit residential buildings.

Product Incentive Program: Incentives for businesses that retrofit existing facilities with energy-efficient products.

Power Smart Partner Program: Eligible organizations have access to a variety of tools and resources to improve productivity, reduce energy and reduce maintenance costs.

Power Smart Programs for Industrial Businesses¹

BC Hydro

Plan: Integrate energy management into your long-term business vision.

These initiatives supply funding and expert resources to make it simpler to integrate energy management and efficient design into your long-term business vision. If you're striving for continuous energy improvement at your facilities, we recommend starting here.

Discover: Find and study your opportunities to save.

These initiatives offer funding to help you build a solid business case for efficiency upgrades. And our bundled initiatives make it straightforward to use your study findings to get access to major upgrade funding.

Upgrade: Build efficiency into your existing facilities.

Build efficiency into your existing facilities with these funding options for upgrade projects. Of course, well-planned upgrades pay for themselves with the energy they save; these offers merely boost the payoff.

Support: Grow your savings with smart monitoring and awareness.

These initiatives give you the power to grow your savings with smart monitoring and employee awareness. Add to that the kind of recognition that comes from being an energy leader, and you'll have plenty of momentum to support your efforts for years to come.

Acquiring Power Programs

BC Hydro

Bioenergy Call for Power: Purchase of electricity generated by independent producers using wood fibre and biomass as fuel.

Net Metering: Customers earn credits by transferring excess electricity generated primarily for their own use from clean energy (e.g., hydro, win, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, tidal, wave and biomass) to the electrical grid.

Standing Offer Program: Purchase of electricity generated from small and clean energy projects.

Clean Power Call:  BC Hydro continues to advance the Clean Power Call, for the purchase of  acquiring "clean" energy as defined by the province in its guidelines for clean and renewable resources, from projects using proven technologies.

Innovative Clean Energy Fund

British Columbia Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development

Funding for projects that commercialize British Columbia's clean, efficient energy technologies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, applications are not being accepted, but additional funding is expected this year.

Natural Gas

FortisBC (Terasen Gas)

For businesses located in the Lower Mainland, Squamish or the Interior:

• Energy Assessment: Free energy assessment.
• Efficient Boiler Program: Rebates for installing condensing or near condensing boilers in new construction or retrofit projects. Applications must be made by August 31, 2009.
• Natural Gas Vehicle Grant: Grants towards the acquisition of natural gas vehicles or the conversion of vehicles to natural gas.

Power Sense Programs

FortisBC

Energy Audit and Comprehensive Energy Study: Free energy audits to identify energy savings opportunities; rebates for comprehensive energy studies.

Energy-Efficient Technologies and Solutions: Rebates for the purchase of energy efficient lighting, equipment and upgrades.

New Facility Programs: Free assessment of a building's energy efficiency; rebates for more detailed assessments and toward the cost of efficiency measures.

Industrial New Process Design Program: Rebates for building energy efficiency into the design of new processes and implementing technology upgrades.