The city of Victoria has annouced it will be banning new buildings being built by 2025 frack using natural gas.
This week, city council members bragged about their so-called “zero carbon” policy, which will require new buildings being developed by 2025 to not be using fossil fuels or natural gas for things such as heating, water heating and cooking
“Buildings account for nearly half of all greenhouse gas pollution generated in the city,” Mayor Lisa Helps said in a statement Monday.
“Each new building will last more than 50 years, so raising the bar now is critical to meeting our long-term climate goals, and to preparing the taxpayers of the future to have less climate-related costs down the road.”
The policy’s supporters claim that it will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. However, during meetings, developers voiced concerns about the lack of access to electricity and the difficulty in finding the right tools and service providers.
In March of 2019 the City of Victoria declared a so-called “climate emergency”.
Electricity rates could increase in 2023 and 2024 according to B.C. Hydro earlier this year in March while encouraging people to “switch to clean hydroelectricity from fossil fuels” so help reduce carbon emissions in B.C.
According to a Government of Canada report, B.C. generates 87% of its energy from hydroelectric energy sources while only about 4% of the energy generated can from the use of natural gas.
In May the government run B.C. Hydro criticized Natural gas despite already applying high regulations on natural gas pipelines like Coastal GasLink, Kitimat LNG and other projects
“‘Natural’ doesn’t mean clean,” BC Hydro wrote.
BC Liberal MLA Ellis Ross said the messaging was unbelievable asking what kind of “mickey mouse operation” they are running.
“What kind of mickey mouse operation is the BC government running??! Why would a crown corporation criticize natural gas as an energy source that its own government approved?? Unbelievable!!! Did the energy minister approve this meme??!!”
MLA Peace River South also responded calling it an attack on rural communities in the province including First Nations communities.
“I cannot believe whoever runs @bchydro social media would think as a crown corporation this is acceptable. This is an attack on all rural communities and First Nations that rely on natural gas development.”
While hydroelectric Site C dam has seen many delays during it’s construction since it started in 2015 with over budget expenses ballooning and won’t be completed until 2025.
In March 2022, B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon said “it is absolutely shocking … that, for a project that’s already 100 per cent over budget, (Horgan) hasn’t got the curiosity to determine just how much more behind schedule and how much more over budget it is.”
