Climate bill would end EPA/state programs

BC Hydro Grid Modernization accelerates clean energy and electrification, upgrading transmission lines, substations, and hydro dams to deliver renewable power for EVs and heat pumps, strengthen grid reliability, and enable industrial decarbonization in British Columbia.

Key Points

A $36B, 10-year plan to expand and upgrade B.C.'s clean grid for electrification, reliability, and industrial growth.

✅ $36B for lines, substations, and hydro dam upgrades

✅ Enables EV charging, heat pumps, and smart demand response

✅ Prioritizes industrial electrification and Indigenous partnerships

In a significant move towards a clean energy transition, British Columbia has announced a substantial $36-billion investment to enlarge and upgrade its electricity grid over the next ten years. The announcement last Tuesday from BC Hydro indicates a substantial 50 percent increase from its prior capital plan. A major portion of this investment is directed towards new consumer connections and improving current infrastructure, including substations, transmission lines, and hydro dams for more efficient power generation.

The catalyst behind this major investment is the escalating demand for clean energy across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors in British Columbia. Projections show a 15 percent rise in electricity demand by 2030. According to the Canadian Climate Institute's models, achieving Canada’s climate goals will require extensive electrification across various sectors, raising questions about a net-zero grid by 2050 nationwide.

BC Hydro is planning substantial upgrades to the electrical grid to meet the needs of a growing population, decreasing industry carbon emissions, and the shift towards clean technology. This is vital, especially as the province works towards improving housing affordability and as households face escalating costs from the impacts of climate change and increasing exposure to harsh weather events. Affordable, reliable power and access to clean technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps are becoming increasingly important for households.

British Columbia is witnessing a significant shift from fossil fuels to clean electricity in powering homes, vehicles, and workplaces. Electric vehicle usage in B.C. has increased twentyfold in the past six years. Last year, one in every five new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in B.C. was electric – the highest rate in Canada. Additionally, over 200,000 B.C. homes are now equipped with heat pumps, indicating a growing preference for the province’s 98 percent renewable electricity.

The investment also targets reducing industrial emissions and attracting industrial investment. For instance, the demand for transmission along the North Coastline, from Prince George to Terrace, is expected to double this decade, especially from sectors like mining. Mining companies are increasingly looking for locations with access to clean power to reduce their carbon footprint.

This grid enhancement plan in B.C. is reflective of similar initiatives in provinces like Quebec and the legacy of Manitoba hydro history in building provincial systems. Hydro-Québec announced a substantial $155 to $185 billion investment in its 2035 Action Plan last year, aimed at supporting decarbonization and economic growth. By 2050, Hydro-Québec predicts a doubling of electricity demand in the province.

Both utilities’ strategies focus on constructing new facilities and enhancing existing assets, like upgrading dams and transmission lines. Hydro-Québec, for instance, includes energy efficiency goals in its plan to double customer savings and potentially save over 3,500 megawatts of power.

However, with this level of investment, provinces need to engage in dialogue about priorities and the optimal use of clean electricity resources, with concepts like macrogrids offering potential benefits. Quebec, for instance, has shifted from a first-come, first-served basis to a strategic review process for significant new industrial power requests.

B.C. is also moving towards strategic prioritization in its energy strategy, evident in its recent moratorium on new connections for virtual currency mining due to their high energy consumption.

Indigenous partnership and leadership are also key in this massive grid expansion. B.C.’s forthcoming Call for Power and Quebec’s financial partnerships with Indigenous communities indicate a commitment to collaborative approaches. British Columbia has also allocated $140 million to support Indigenous-led power projects.

Regarding the rest of Canada, electricity planning varies in provinces with deregulated markets like Ontario and Alberta. However, these provinces are adapting too, and the federal government has funded an Atlantic grid study to improve regional planning efforts. Ontario, for example, has provided clear guidance to its system operator, mirroring the ambition in B.C. and Quebec.

Utilities are rapidly working to not only expand and modernize energy grids but also to make them more resilient, affordable, and smarter, as demonstrated by recent California grid upgrades funding announcements across the sector. Hydro-Québec focuses on grid reliability and affordability, while B.C. experiments with smart-grid technologies.

Both Ontario and B.C. have programs encouraging consumers to reduce consumption in real-time, demonstrating the potential of demand-side management. A recent instance in Alberta showed how customer participation could prevent rolling blackouts by reducing demand by 150 megawatts.

This is a crucial time for all Canadian provinces to develop larger, smarter energy grids, including a coordinated western Canadian electricity grid approach for a sustainable future. Utilities are making significant strides towards this goal.
 

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H2 Gateway Hydrogen Network accelerates clean energy in B.C., building electrolysis plants and hydrogen fueling stations for zero-emission vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and long-haul transit, supporting decarbonization, green hydrogen supply, and infrastructure investment.

Key Points

A $900M B.C. initiative by HTEC to build electrolysis plants and 20 hydrogen fueling stations for zero-emission transport.

✅ $900M project with HTEC, CIB, and B.C. government

✅ 3 electrolysis plants plus byproduct liquefaction in North Vancouver

✅ Up to 20 stations; 14 for heavy-duty vehicles in B.C. and Alberta

British Columbia is taking a significant step towards a cleaner future with a brand new $900 million project. This initiative, spearheaded by hydrogen company HTEC and supported by the CIB in B.C. and the B.C. government, aims to establish a comprehensive hydrogen network across the province. This network will encompass both hydrogen production plants and fueling stations, marking a major leap in developing hydrogen infrastructure in B.C.

The project, dubbed "H2 Gateway," boasts several key components. At its core lies the construction of three brand new electrolysis hydrogen production plants. These facilities will be strategically located in Burnaby, Nanaimo, and Prince George, ensuring a wide distribution of hydrogen fuel. An additional facility in North Vancouver will focus on liquefying byproduct hydrogen, maximizing resource efficiency.

The most visible aspect of H2 Gateway will undoubtedly be the network of hydrogen fueling stations. The project envisions up to 20 stations spread across British Columbia and Alberta, complementing the province's Electric Highway build-out, with 18 being situated within B.C. itself. This extensive network will significantly enhance the accessibility of hydrogen fuel, making it a more viable option for motorists. Notably, 14 of these stations will be designed to handle heavy-duty vehicles, catering to the transportation sector's clean energy needs.

The economic and environmental benefits of H2 Gateway are undeniable. The project is expected to generate nearly 300 jobs, aligning with recent grid job creation efforts, providing a much-needed boost to the B.C. economy. More importantly, the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel promises significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen-powered vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, making them a crucial tool in combating climate change.

British Columbia's investment in hydrogen infrastructure aligns with a global trend. As countries strive to achieve ambitious climate goals, hydrogen is increasingly viewed as a promising clean energy source. Hydrogen fuel cells offer several advantages over traditional electric vehicles, and while B.C. leads the country in going electric, they boast longer driving ranges and shorter refueling times, making them particularly attractive for long-distance travel and heavy-duty applications.

While H2 Gateway represents a significant step forward, challenges remain. The production of clean hydrogen, often achieved through electrolysis using renewable energy sources, faces power supply challenges and requires substantial initial investment. Additionally, the number of hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road is still relatively low.

However, projects like H2 Gateway are crucial in overcoming these hurdles. By creating a robust hydrogen infrastructure, B.C. is sending a strong signal to the industry and, alongside BC Hydro's EV charging expansion across southern B.C., is building a comprehensive clean transportation network. This investment will not only benefit the environment but also incentivize the development and adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles. As the technology matures and production costs decrease, hydrogen fuel has the potential to revolutionize transportation and play a key role in a sustainable future.

The road ahead for hydrogen may not be entirely smooth, but British Columbia's commitment to H2 Gateway demonstrates a clear vision. By investing in clean energy infrastructure, the province is not only positioning itself as a leader in the fight against climate change, with Canada and B.C. investing in green energy solutions to accelerate progress, but also paving the way for a more sustainable transportation landscape.

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Puerto Rico Earthquakes continue as a seismic swarm with aftershocks, landslides near Pef1uelas, damage in Ponce and Guayanilla, grid outages from Costa Sur Plant, PREPA recovery, vulnerable buildings post-Hurricane Maria raising safety concerns.

Key Points

Recurring seismic events impacting Puerto Rico, causing damage, aftershocks, outages, and displacement.

✅ Seismic swarm with 6.4 and 5.9 magnitude quakes and ongoing aftershocks

✅ Costa Sur Plant offline; PREPA urges conservation amid grid repairs

✅ Older, code-deficient buildings and landslides raise safety risks

Some in Puerto Rico are beginning to fear the ground will never stop shaking. The island has been pummeled by hundreds of earthquakes in recent weeks, including the recent 5.9 magnitude temblor, where there were reports of landslides in the town of Peñuelas along the southern coast, rattling residents already on edge from the massive 6.4 magnitude quake, and raising wider concerns about climate risks to the grid in disaster-prone regions.

That was the largest to strike the island in more than a century causing hundreds of structures to crumble, forcing thousands from their homes and leaving millions without power, a scenario echoed by Texas power outages during winter storms too. One person was killed and several others injured.

Utility says 99% of customers have electricity

Puerto Rico's public utility, PREPA, tweeted some welcome news Monday: that nearly all of the homes and businesses it serves have had electric power restored. Still it is urging customers to conserve energy amid utility supply-chain shortages that can slow critical repairs.

Reporting from the port city of Ponce, NPR's Adrian Florido said the Costa Sur Plant, which produces more than 40% of Puerto Rico's electricity, was badly damaged in last week's quake. It remains offline indefinitely, even as grid operators elsewhere have faced California blackout warnings during extreme heat.

He also reports many residents are still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, a deadly Category 4 storm that battered the island in September 2017. The storm exposed the fact that buildings across the island were not up to code, similar to how aging systems have contributed to PG&E power line fires in California. The series of earthquakes are only amplifying fears that structures have been further weakened.

"People aren't coping terribly well," Florido said on NPR's Morning Edition Monday, noting that households elsewhere have endured pandemic power shutoffs and burdensome bills.

Many earthquake victims sleeping outdoors

Florido spoke to one displaced resident, Leticia Espada, who said more than 50 homes in her town of Guayanilla, about an hour drive east of the port city of Ponce, had collapsed.

After sleeping outside for days on her patio following Tuesday's quake, she eventually came to her town's baseball stadium where she's been sleeping on one of hundreds of government-issued cots.

She's like so many others sleeping in open-air shelters, many unwilling to go back to their homes until they've been deemed safe, while even far from disaster zones, brief events like a Northeast D.C. outage show how fragile service can be.

"Thousands of people across several towns sleeping in tents or under tarps, or out in the open, protected by nothing but the shade of a tree with no sense of when these quakes are going to stop," Florido reports.

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Ontario Comprehensive Electricity Plan delivers Global Adjustment reductions for industrial and commercial non-RPP customers, lowering electricity rates, shifting renewable energy costs, and enhancing competitiveness across Ontario businesses in 2022, with additional 4 percent savings.

Key Points

Ontario's plan lowers Global Adjustment by shifting renewable costs, cutting industrial and commercial bills 15-17%.

✅ Shifts above-market non-hydro renewable costs to the Province

✅ Reduces GA for industrial and commercial non-RPP customers

✅ Additional 4% savings on 2022 bills after GA deferral

As of January 1, 2022, industrial and commercial electricity customers will benefit from the full savings introduced through the Ontario government’s Comprehensive Electricity Plan, which supports stable electricity pricing for industrial and commercial companies, announced in Budget 2020, and first implemented in January 2021. This year customers could see an additional four percent savings compared to their bills last year, bringing the full savings from the Comprehensive Electricity Plan to between 15 and 17 per cent, making Ontario a more competitive place to do business.

“Our Comprehensive Electricity Plan has helped reverse the trend of skyrocketing electricity prices that drove jobs out of Ontario,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “Over 50,000 customers are benefiting from our government’s plan which has reduced electricity rates on clean and reliable power, allowing them to focus on reinvesting in their operations and creating jobs here at home.”

Starting on January 1, 2021, the Comprehensive Electricity Plan reduced overall Global Adjustment (GA) costs for industrial and commercial customers who do not participate in the Regulated Price Plan (RPP) by shifting the forecast above-market costs of non-hydro renewable energy, such as wind, solar and bioenergy, from the rate base to the Province, alongside energy-efficiency programs that complement demand reduction efforts.

“Since taking office, our government has listened to job creators and worked to lower the costs of doing business in the province. Through these significant reductions in electricity prices through the Comprehensive Electricity Plan, customers all across Ontario will benefit from significant savings in their business operations in 2022,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “By continuing to reduce electricity costs, lowering taxes, and cutting red tape our government has reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by nearly $7 billion annually to ensure that we remain competitive, innovative and poised for economic recovery.”

As part of its COVID response, including electricity relief for families and small businesses, Ontario had deferred a portion of GA between April and June 2020 for industrial and non-RPP commercial customers, with more than 50,000 customers benefiting. Those same businesses paid back these deferred GA costs over 12 months, between January 2021 and December 2021, while the province prepared to extend disconnect moratoriums for residential customers.

During the pandemic, residential electricity use rose even as overall consumption dropped, underscoring shifts in load patterns.

Now that the GA deferral repayment period is over, industrial and non-RPP commercial customers will benefit from the full cost reductions provided to them by the Comprehensive Electricity Plan, alongside temporary off-peak rate relief that supported families and small businesses. This means that, beginning January 1, 2022, these businesses could see an additional four per cent savings on their bills compared to 2021, as new ultra-low overnight pricing options emerge depending on their location and consumption.

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Australia Energy Policy Debate highlights IPCC warnings, Paris Agreement goals, coal phase-out, emissions reduction, renewables, gas, pumped hydro, storage, reliability, and investment certainty amid NEG uncertainty and federal-state tensions over targets.

Key Points

Debate over coal, emissions targets, and grid reliability, guided by IPCC science, Paris goals, and market reforms.

✅ IPCC urges rapid cuts and coal phase-out by 2050

✅ NEG's emissions pillar stalled; reliability obligation alive

✅ States, market operators push investment certainty and storage

The United Nation’s climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on Monday said radical emissions reduction across the world’s economies, including a phase-out of coal by 2050, was required to avoid the most devastating climate change impacts.

The Morrison government dismissed the findings. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg insisted this week that “coal is an important part of the energy mix”.

“If we were to take coal out of the system the lights would go out on the east coast of Australia overnight. It provides more than 60 per cent of our power," he said.

Ms Zibelman, whose organisation operates the nation’s largest gas and electricity markets, said if Australia was to make an orderly transition to low-emissions electricity generation, aligning with the sustainable electric planet vision, “then certainly we would keep the lights on”.

Ms Zibelman said coal assets should be maintained “as long as they are economically viable and we should have a plan to replace them with resources that are lowest cost”.

Those options comprised gas, renewables, pumped hydro and other energy storage, she told ABC radio, as New Zealand weighs electrification to replace fossil fuels.

Under the Paris treaty the government has pledged to lower emissions by 26 per cent by 2030, based on 2005 levels, even as national emissions rose 2% recently according to industry reports.

Labor would increase the goal to a 45 per cent cut - a policy Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last month would " shut down every coal-fired power station in the country and ... increase people’s power bill by about $1,400 on average for every single household”.

The federal government has scrapped its proposed National Energy Guarantee, which would have cut emissions in the electricity sector, but the reliability component of the plan may continue in some form.

The policy was being developed by the Energy Security Board. The group’s chairwoman Kerry Schott has expressed anger at its demise but on Thursday revealed the board was still working on the policy because “nobody told us to stop”.

Speaking at the Melbourne Institute's Outlook conference, she urged the government to revive the emissions reduction component of the plan to provide investment certainty, noting the IEA net-zero report on Canada shows electricity demand rises in decarbonisation.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor, an energy consultant before entering Parliament, on Thursday said the electricity sector would reduce emissions in line with the Paris deal without a mandated target.

Mr Taylor said only a “very brave state” would not support the policy’s reliability obligation.

The federal government has called a COAG energy council meeting for October 26 in Sydney to discuss electricity reliability.

It is understood Mr Taylor has not contacted Victoria, Queensland or the ACT since taking the portfolio, despite needing unanimous support from the states to progress the issue.

The Victorian government goes into caretaker mode on October 30 ahead of that state's election.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the federal government was “a rabble when it comes to energy policy, and we won’t be signing anything until after the election".

Speaking at the Melbourne Institute conference, prominent business leaders on Thursday bemoaned a lack of political leadership on energy policy and climate change, saying the only way forward appeared to be for companies to take action themselves, with some pointing to Canada's race to net-zero as a case study in the role of renewables.

Jayne Hrdlicka, chief executive of ASX-listed dairy and infant-formula company a2 Milk, said "we all have an obligation to do the very best job we can in managing our carbon footprint".

"We just need to get on doing what we can .. and then hope that policy will catch up. But we can’t wait," she said.

Ms Hrdlicka said the recent federal political turmoil had been frustrating "because if you invest in building relationships as most of us do in Canberra and then overnight they are all changed, you’re starting from scratch".

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Texas PUC Spanish Power to Choose mandates bilingual parity in deregulated electricity markets, ensuring equal access to plans, transparent pricing, consumer protection, and provider listings for Spanish speakers, mirroring the English site offerings statewide.

Key Points

PUC mandate requiring identical Spanish and English plan listings for fair access in the deregulated power market.

✅ Orders parity across English and Spanish plan listings

✅ Increases transparency in a deregulated electricity market

✅ Deadline set for providers to post on both sites

The state’s Public Utility Commission has ordered that the Spanish-language version of the Power to Choose website provide the same options available on the English version of the site, a move that comes as shopping for electricity is getting cheaper statewide.

Texas is one of a handful of states with a deregulated electricity market, with ongoing market reforms under consideration to avoid blackouts. The idea is to give consumers the option to pick power plans that they think best fit their needs. Customers can find available plans on the state’s Power To Choose website, or its Spanish-language counterpart, Poder de Escoger. In theory, those two sites should have the exact same offerings, so no one is disadvantaged. But the Texas Public Utility Commission found that wasn’t the case.

Houston Chronicle business reporter Lynn Sixel has been covering this story. She says the Power to Choose website is important for consumers facing the difficult task of choosing an electric provider in a deregulated state, where electricity complaints have recently reached a three-year high for Texans.

“There are about 57 providers listed on the [English] Power to Choose website, and news about retailers like Griddy underscores how varied the offerings can be across providers. [Last week] there were only 23 plans on the Spanish Power to Choose site,” Sixel says. “If you speak Spanish and you’re looking for a low-cost plan, as of last week, it would have been difficult to find some of the really great offers.”

Mustafa Tameez, managing director of Outreach Strategists, a Houston firm that consults with companies and nonprofits on diversity, described this issue as a type of redlining.

“He’s referring to a practice that banks would use to circle areas on maps in which the bank decided they did not want to lend money or would charge higher rates,” Sixel says. “Typically it was poor minority neighborhoods. Those folks would not get the same great deals that their Anglo neighbors would get.”

DeAnn Walker, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said she was not at all happy about the plans listings in a meeting Friday, against a backdrop where Texas utilities have recently backed out of a plan to create smart home electricity networks.

“She gave a deadline of 8 a.m. Monday morning for any providers who wanted to put their plans on the Power to Choose website, must put them on both the Spanish language and the English language versions,” Sixel says. “All the folks that I talked to really had no idea that there were different plans on both sites and I think that there was sort of an assumption.”

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