Barry Penner made several points during one of the panel discussions at last week’s BC Natural Resources Forum. And every time, the Prince George Civic Centre audience cheered and applauded.
Penner, a former attorney general and environment minister, was on a panel called Stronger Energy Grid – Stronger Economy with BC Hydro president Chris O’Riley. O’Riley was making his pitch to the public that the province’s plan to go fully electric, phasing out natural gas in favour of hydroelectric power and renewables, is the best path forward. This extends to home heating, with natural gas furnaces being replaced in BC, and heat pumps installed in every home, business, office, school and hospital.
Penner was having none of it.
“Can you imagine what would happen if we did have blackouts and rolling brownouts and weren’t able to keep our industry, our hospitals, and schools functioning?” he said. “It’s a thought we don’t usually contemplate because we’ve been very successful over the past number of decades in avoiding those situations.” Big applause from the audience for that.
O’Riley responded with comments on advancements in energy storage. “We’ve seen a whole host of storage solutions come available that didn’t exist 10 years in the past,” he said to a few polite claps.
British Columbia stands at a pivotal moment in its energy future. The government is pushing for a transition to a cleaner, electric-powered economy, but as Penner noted there’s an important discussion that’s often overlooked: Can we afford to make that change? Specifically, can BC’s growing resource-based industries in the North thrive? The reality is that we need the reliability of natural gas or nuclear power in addition to renewable sources if BC is to realize its potential.
For decades, people have been anticipating the growth of Northern BC’s resource sector. Some of us have been eyeing this opportunity since the 1990s. And yet, despite all the talk and preparation, we still face major infrastructure gaps. If we are serious about leveraging the immense potential of Northern BC’s resources, whether it’s natural gas, minerals (including rare earth minerals needed for electric vehicles), or other key industries, then we must confront the energy needs.
The lower mainland will also be driving the increased demand for electricity over the next five year as the provincial government has mandated that 90 per cent of all vehicles sold in BC by 2030 will have to be zero-emission.
Renewables like hydro and wind are part of the future, but they are not enough to meet the growing demand of industries in the North. The Site C hydroelectric project and nine new smaller renewable projects, while valuable, will not provide sufficient electricity to meet the surging needs of industry, healthcare, and the day-to-day functioning of communities, not to mention future growth.
Going back to Penner’s mention of a world where blackouts and rolling brownouts are a regular occurrence: Could BC’s industry continue to function if power interruptions became a common reality? Could hospitals remain operational? Schools? The economy itself? How will this increased demand affect the price homeowners pay?
The last thing we want is to be caught unprepared in the face of a rapidly changing world. The global geopolitical landscape is shifting, and as seen with recent political events, instability can escalate quickly. If BC is left without sufficient power sources, it risks falling behind, especially when larger energy players like the United States have the capacity to dictate the terms of the energy market.
The need for diversified infrastructure goes beyond electricity. It includes rail, roads and reliable energy systems. Without this kind of development, Northern BC will not be able to unlock its full potential.
For years, BC has been talking about the opportunities of the North, but progress has been slow. Energy storage solutions, though improving, are still in the early stages. While BC is fortunate to have hydroelectric reservoirs and plans for new battery storage systems, these technologies alone cannot provide the reliability and scalability needed for an industrial boom.
There are two options to bridge the gap in our energy needs: Nuclear and LNG. The first generates no greenhouse gases, the second taps into BC’s abundant natural gas resources. Both are used extensively in Canada. In Alberta, 74 per cent of its electricity is generated through natural gas. In Ontario, 58 per cent of their electrical production is nuclear. Both can provide a critical backup to renewables and help power industrial development.
This is particularly important in the North, where the energy demands of large-scale resource extraction and processing cannot rely solely on intermittent renewable sources. Nuclear and LNG provide a stable, high-energy resource that can ensure economic growth without sacrificing environmental goals.
It’s time to embrace a balanced energy future that prioritizes both sustainability and growth.
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