The BC Green Caucus has issued a statement that it will not support Bill 14, Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act:
“Expediting wind power projects and BC’s clean electricity grid are foundational elements to addressing climate change,” said interim BC Greens Leader Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “But this government is further empowering a regulator with an abysmal track-record of environmental regulation, which could lead to loss of public trust and support for these important projects.”
Under the current proposal, the BC Energy Regulator (BCER) would create the regulatory regime outlining consultation, environmental assessment,and the cumulative effects framework. The BC Greens have concerns over how the regulator will develop this framework on the fly—and how it will sidestep the province’s established environmental assessment process.
“The BCER—formerly the Oil and Gas Commission—is an industry-funded crown corporation. It has consistently been criticized for lack of transparency and weak compliance and enforcement and we cannot place our trust in an agency whose process has not yet been developed,” said Valeriote. ““The government and BCER are building the plane as they’re flying it. We cannot afford to jeopardize a process that was designed to protect the public and the planet. Therefore, we are not supportive of the mandate given to the BCER under Bill 14.”
The BC Greens have proposed amendments to Bill 14 that would address the BCER’s lack of oversight and transparency, and provide more details to the Legislature about what’s taking place in lieu of an environmental assessment. The government has indicated that it will not support our amendments. We intend to engage in the Committee process, including tabling the amendments, to give the Minister an opportunity to address our concerns.
Valeriote emphasized that while the BC Greens support renewable energy, they oppose the rushed and opaque manner in which this bill is being pursued. “We recognize that permitting of some projects—like wind development—can be streamlined, but should not be weakened. The future of renewable energy in BC must be sustainable, responsible, and accountable.”
House Leader Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich and the Islands, echoed Valeriote’s concerns, stating, “The limited time for meaningful consultation and proper consideration of amendments undermines our democratic process. We’ve demonstrated a successful, collaborative approach with Bill 7. We had hoped to do the same with Bill 14, but the Government’s time constraints are making that difficult.”
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Media contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca