Syntaris Power

It has been a year since Mayor Gregor Robertson launched the Greenest City initiative, which concentrates on three general areas, including greener communities. The Olympics jump-started many of the recommended actions to keep us in line with the 2020 goal, but is the environment top of mind for Vancouverites?

To understand what makes a good city sustainable, IBM commissioned a countrywide Angus Reid survey in late 2009. The results for Vancouver were surprising. Residents say being green is an attribute of a city that works well, but they rank environment seventh in a list of priorities.

Topping the list of sustainability issues is transportation — not surprising for anyone who has sat on the Lions Gate Bridge, the Port Mann Bridge or in the Massey tunnel. But fixing traffic problems not only reduces commuting times, it leads to a greener, cleaner city.

In our preparations for the Olympics, Vancouver invested millions in our transportation systems. We all enjoyed the benefits of the Canada Line as it moved thousands of people around the city each day. But now that the Olympic cauldron has been extinguished, we still face the reality that Vancouver needs to better manage the traffic into and out of the city.

The cities of Singapore, Brisbane and Stockholm are all working to reduce both traffic congestion and air pollution through intelligent transportation solutions. Through the use of predictive tools and data analytics, public transportation and automobiles receive information to avoid traffic jams and improve commute times. And with the introduction of new battery technologies, fewer cars and city buses will rely on fossil fuels.

By Scott Hardy, Vancouver Sun

Link to article

Province could pay debt by selling renewable energy, report says

B.C. could pull in about $4.3 billion annually and eliminate its debt over several years by tapping into and selling its vast green-energy potential, said a report released yesterday.

Bio-energy, run-of-river, wind, geothermal, tidal, wave and solar energy could all be developed to help the environment and to work towards wiping out B.C.’s debt in 15 years or less, said the B.C. Citizens for Green Energy’s 76-page report.

“B.C. is widely recognized as having a natural abundance of renewable green energy resources. However, this natural abundance is currently going virtually untapped as are the economic and environmental benefits that developing them could bring to our province,” said the report, titled A Triple Legacy for Future Generations: B.C.’s Potential as a Renewable Green Energy Powerhouse.

“And if British Columbia was debt-free like Alberta, the $2.2 billion we currently spend to service our provincial debt could be spent instead on vital public services like health care and education.”

Link to full article

British Columbia’s clean energy sector will get a $100 million boost for research and development aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

…The $100 million will be spent over three years to support transportation infrastructure, support for development of biofuels from wood waste, and research and development of green power technology including wind, solar, geothermal and tidal power.
By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun

Link to full article

Business being developed in the province based on clean generation

…The most optimistic forecasts see independent power producers adding $9 billion to the economy and 9,100 full time jobs over the next decade. Direct payments to government are expected to reach about $530 million annually.

While it may not have the heft of oil and gas, clean energy still holds great potential to deliver significant economic benefits to the province. It already has. Capital spending by IPPs so far amounts to $2.8 billion, and study by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, commissioned by the Independent Power Producers Association, sees that figure rising to $29 billion by 2020. IPPs employ 1,175 British Columbians today, with another 7,930 jobs expected to be created by 2020.

Construction of IPP projects has put $235 million into government coffers and potential tax revenue over the next decade is seen at $1.6 billion.

It goes without saying that most of these projects are in remote areas and will bring benefits to resource-dependent communities and first nations bands.

By Harvey Enchin, Vancouver Sun

Link to full article