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

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

Vancouver, British Columbia— There was some good news for the renewable energy sector contained in the 2010 provincial budget delivered by British Columbia’s Finance Minister Colin Hansen in Victoria Tuesday afternoon.

Hansen announced the creation of a new 100 million dollar climate action and clean energy fund that is meant to encourage ongoing development of clean transportation choices and support future growth of alternative energy including biomass, run-of-river and other forms of clean power.

“We are pleased to see that the provincial government is continuing to keep its commitment to support growth in the green energy sector in British Columbia now and into the future,” says Syntaris Power Corp. President and CEO Robert Fraser. “This is another important step in ensuring that BC will remain attractive to those wanting to invest in renewable energy,” Fraser adds.

The new clean energy funds are expected to become available once the province’s Clean Energy Act is tabled. The new Clean Energy Act is meant to encourage new investments in independent power production while strengthening BC Hydro. It is expected to provide for fair, predictable, clean power calls and simplify procurement protocols and institute new measures to encourage investment and create jobs.

To view the complete text of Finance Minister Colin Hansen’s budget speech, link here

Download PDF News Release

…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

…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

The governments of B.C., Washington, Oregon and California, vowed Friday to cooperate on a host of initiatives from promoting high-speed rail to developing renewable energy projects to tackle climate change in a way that will also boost the economy.

Noting that the climate isn’t contained by borders, and claiming so far it is states and provinces and not national governments that have taken concrete action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the state and provincial leaders said they plan to work together in what they have dubbed the Pacific Coast Collaborative.

“The main agenda here is not only to build our states and this whole [Pacific] rim, but also to inspire our federal governments to go in the same direction,” California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said before signing the two memorandums that representatives signed that promised cooperation.

Schwarzenegger, who will chair the group, said the state and provincial governments will need to work with their federal counterparts to bring about change on items such as cleaner fuel standards and developing renewable energy.

By Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun

Link to full article

The provincial government opened a bundle of clean energy announcements on Monday in a bid to brand British Columbia as a global hub for green business investment and research.

Premier Gordon Campbell and Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom introduced three deals, all involving British Columbia companies and international partners, and gave their strongest indication yet that the Clean Energy Act announced in last week’s throne speech will fundamentally change the energy development landscape.

“B.C. is home to 1,000 clean-tech and environmental companies. This is the third-largest clean energy and research-development hub in the world,” Campbell said during a 90-minute “Clean Energy Day” kickoff at the B.C. media centre on Robson Street downtown.

Campbell said the Clean Energy Act, which will be introduced in the current sitting of the legislature, will “minimize risk” for companies seeking to develop new sources of electricity and “simplify procurement protocols and new measures to encourage investment.”

By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun

Link to full article

-A new Clean Energy Act will encourage new investments in independent power production while also strengthening BC Hydro.

-New transmission investments will open up the Highway 37 corridor to new mines and clean power.

-New transmission infrastructure will link Northeastern B.C. to our integrated grid, provide clean power to the energy industry and open up new capacity for clean power exports to Alberta, Saskatchewan and south of the border.

-We will seek major transmission upgrades with utilities in California and elsewhere.

-Maximize our potential as a clean energy powerhouse and a global leader in climate action;

-The government will work with other provinces and the federal government to establish one process for one project. There is no time to waste and Canadian taxpayers cannot afford the extra costs, the uncertainties and the lost jobs that are the products of the current system.

-The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act must be amended to create a unified federal-provincial review process that does away with redundancy and unnecessary costs.

-The government will fully respect and adhere to First Nations’ rights to consultation and accommodation. That essential ingredient will be complemented with a new unified process for environmental assessment and permitting in British Columbia.

Link to the full Throne Speech

The provincial government is promising to improve both the economy and the environment with the introduction of a Clean Energy Act intended to streamline development of new green electricity initiatives.

…“I’d have to give the government kudos,” said Paul Kariya, Independent Power Producers association of B.C. executive director.

“I think there is encouragement there on improving the whole framework of procurement and how energy is brought to the market,” Kariya said. “It reinforces that the clean energy sector is a star on B.C.’s economic horizon.”

By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun

Link to full article

Independent power producers seek economic opportunities and benefits from government similar to those available for British Columbia industries such as forestry and mining, according to a document obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

Independents argue in a submission to the B.C. government’s Green Energy Task Force that the industry could quadruple in size by 2020, generating $29 billion in capital investment and creating up to 8,000 full-time permanent jobs.

That includes development of new power supplies for both domestic use and a hungry export market in the United States, according to the submission from the Independent Power Producers Association of B.C.

“IPPs are poised to become another piston in the B.C. resource industry export engine along with mining, forestry and oil and gas — with the ensuing benefits to the provincial treasury,” the submission states.

The independent power association argues that energy planning must move beyond the traditional objective of providing BC Hydro customers with the lowest possible electricity rates, and incorporate climate change actions, renewable power development and some social policies into the price of power.

Link to full article