Task Force, Committee to Lead Clean Energy Development

News Release
Office of the Premier
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
November 2, 2009

VANCOUVER – The Province will establish a Green Energy Advisory Task Force, as committed in the August 2009 throne speech, and a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Action and Clean Energy, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today at the Independent Power Producers of B.C. annual conference.

“Clean energy will be a cornerstone of B.C.’s climate action plan that will create jobs, support families and generate new economic activity throughout British Columbia,” said Premier Campbell. “This task force and the new committee will ensure B.C. remains a leader in clean and renewable energy by developing our resources, maximizing our opportunities and establishing our potential as the supplier of choice for clean power.”

The Green Energy Advisory Task Force will be comprised of four advisory task force groups, to report directly to the new Cabinet Committee, include:

  • Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Procurement and Regulatory Reform
    This task force will recommend improvements to BC Hydro’s procurement and regulatory regimes to enhance clarity, certainty and competitiveness in promoting clean and cost-effective power generation; and identify possible improvements to future clean power calls and procurement processes.

  • Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Carbon Pricing, Trading and Export Market Development
    This task force will develop recommendations to advance British Columbia’s interests in any future national or international cap and trade system, and to maximize the value of B.C.’s green-energy attributes in all power generated and distributed within and beyond B.C. borders. The task force will also develop recommendations on carbon-pricing policies and how to integrate these policies with any cap and trade system developed for B.C.

  • Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Community Engagement and First Nations Partnerships
    This task force will develop recommendations to ensure that First Nations and communities see clear benefits from the development of clean and renewable electricity and have a clear opportunity for input in project development in their areas. It will work in partnership with First Nations, not only to respect their constitutional right, but to open up new opportunities for job creation and reflect the best practices in environmental protection.

  • Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Resource Development
    This task force will identify impediments to and best practices for planning and permitting new clean, renewable-electricity generation to ensure that development happens in an environmentally sustainable way. The task force will also consider allocation of forest fibre to support energy development and invite input from solar, tidal, wave and other clean energy sectors to develop strategies to enhance their competitiveness.

The task force groups will consist of clean-energy experts, energy consultants, renowned climate experts, leading academics, First Nation representatives and environmentalists. The members of those committees and terms of reference will be announced in the coming days. All task force groups will also undertake a comparative review of existing policies in other jurisdictions.

The new cabinet committee will include the Premier, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Blair Lekstrom and other cabinet ministers whose portfolios are important to the development of clean energy, and existing members of the climate action committee. Additionally, the committee will include the chairs of BC Hydro and the BC Transmission Corporation.

“These task force groups and this new committee will help the Province work with BC Hydro, BCTC and the BCUC in developing future long-term acquisition plans that produce more opportunities and jobs for British Columbians, especially in rural and remote communities,” said Lekstrom. “It will help us make the most of our energy potential, while retaining competitive rates for all British Columbians.”

“The task force groups and the new cabinet committee will help us advance our climate action goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a greener economy that generates well-paying jobs while maintaining high environmental standards for both the permitting process and the operational phase of any project that gets built,” said Environment Minister Barry Penner.

As part of the Province’s commitment to end reliance on Burrard Thermal, government has clarified its intention to the BCUC to replace the firm energy supply from Burrard Thermal with clean, renewable and cost-effective energy. BC Hydro estimates that ending their reliance on Burrard Thermal Generating Facility for energy needs will also save tens of millions of dollars over the next seven to 10 years in maintenance and capital costs.

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BACKGROUNDER

Members of the Cabinet Committee on Climate Action and Clean Energy

The Cabinet Committee on Climate Action and Clean Energy will develop recommendations to Cabinet that will maximize British Columbia’s economic potential as a clean energy powerhouse, producing clean, reliable, competitively priced power that meets British Columbians’ electricity needs, reduces global greenhouse gas emissions and fosters economic development and job creation in every region of the province.

  • Premier Gordon Campbell
  • Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation George Abbott
  • Minister of State for Climate Action John Yap
  • Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Blair Lekstrom
  • Minister of Environment Barry Penner
  • Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell
  • Minister of Housing and Social Development Rich Coleman
  • Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations Naomi Yamamoto
  • Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development Iain Black
  • Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Shirley Bond
  • Eric Foster, MLA Vernon-Monashee
  • BC Hydro chair, Dan Doyle (ex-officio)
  • Executive chair and CEO, British Columbia Transmission Corporation, David Emerson (ex-officio)

Members of the energy task forces and terms of reference will be available in the near future.

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Contact:
Jake Jacobs, Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
250-952-0628, 250-213-6934 (cell)

Bridgitte Anderson, Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
604-307-7177

Source


Premier Campbell announces sweeping B.C. energy policy review

Scott Simpson
Vancouver Sun
November 2, 2009

GordonCampbell.jpg
Premier Gordon Campbell is looking for an exceptionally short turnaround time for four different task forces on energy policy review to report back to government — he wants responses by January 2010, which is a nanosecond in the often ponderous regulatory world of B.C.'s electricity sector. (Photograph by: Todd Korol, Reuters files)

VANCOUVER — B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell on Monday announced a sweeping, fundamental review of energy policy in British Columbia.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Independent Power Producers association of B.C., Campbell said the Liberals will strike four distinct task forces to work on various facets of the green power sector in B.C.

The intention is to make B.C. an international leader in green power development — both for this province and for export to markets including the United States and Alberta.

Its intention is also to attract and strengthen the independent power sector in B.C.

The task forces will review everything from the regulation of BC Hydro to community engagement in the development of new, private sector power development.

All four task forces stand under the umbrella of the Green Energy Advisory Task Force that was announced in the B.C. Throne Speech last August.

Campbell is looking for an exceptionally short turnaround time for the task forces to report back to government — he wants responses by January 2010, which is a nanosecond in the often ponderous regulatory world of B.C.'s electricity sector.

Campbell also announced a new cabinet committee to which the task forces must report. It includes himself, Environment Minister Barry Penner and Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom, as well as the chairs of BC Hydro and BC Transmission Corp.

In a press release, the government detailed the task forces as follows:

Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Procurement and Regulatory Reform. This task force will recommend improvements to BC Hydro's procurement and regulatory regimes to enhance clarity, certainty and competitiveness in promoting clean and cost-effective power generation; and identify possible improvements to future clean power calls and procurement processes.

Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Carbon Pricing, Trading and Export Market Development. This task force will develop recommendations to advance British Columbia's interests in any future national or international cap and trade system, and to maximize the value of B.C.'s green-energy attributes in all power generated and distributed within and beyond B.C. borders. The task force will also develop recommendations on carbon-pricing policies and how to integrate these policies with any cap and trade system developed for B.C.

Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Community Engagement and First Nations Partnerships. This task force will develop recommendations to ensure that first nations and communities see clear benefits from the development of clean and renewable electricity and have a clear opportunity for input in project development in their areas. It will work in partnership with first nations, not only to respect their constitutional right, but to open up new opportunities for job creation and reflect the best practices in environmental protection.

Green Energy Advisory Task Force on Resource Development. This task force will identify impediments to and best practices for planning and permitting new clean, renewable-electricity generation to ensure that development happens in an environmentally sustainable way. The task force will also consider allocation of forest fibre to support energy development and invite input from solar, tidal, wave and other clean energy sectors to develop strategies to enhance their competitiveness.

ssimpson@vancouversun.com

Source

Posted by Arthur Caldicott on 02 Nov 2009