The BC Sustainable Energy Association or BCSEA (“bee-see-ess-ee-ay” please, not “bee-see-see” or “bee-see-see-ah”) was formed in 2004, when ecofuturist Guy Dauncey decided that an advocacy group was needed to champion a sustainable energy transition in BC.

Guy and a few activists (including me) had become alarmed about global warming and climate change, and concluded that BC and the rest of the world must radically reduce their use of fossil fuels and switch to low-carbon sources of energy.

This seemed bold and novel at the time. While global warming was well proven to competent scientists, it was far from clear to society generally. The news media mostly ignored climate change or treated it as a strange novelty. The radical changes called for by the need to decarbonize society seemed huge and unprecedented; while the practical effects of climate change seemed remote. It was hard to focus popular attention and political will on climate change. And of course, climate deniers worked hard to sow confusion.

Accordingly, BCSEA’s initial mandate was to address public awareness and motivate people to act. The early years were spent building BCESA’s membership and chapters, and increasing its voice. BCSEA quickly formed chapters in Vancouver, Victoria and the Okanagan. Northern BC was more challenging, but at various times, BCSEA has had chapters in Fort St. John, Kamloops and Prince George. Guy’s speaking and media skills – and his powerful positive vision – were crucial to building our membership and media presence.

BCSEA has hosted webinars since its early days. They have been very successful, attracting expert presenters from around the world and attendees from all over BC, including staff at the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines. The webinars have covered all kinds of topics in sustainable energy. For example, FortisBC gas utility recently sparked a lively discussion when it presented its version of how BC’s utilities should decarbonize while retaining a gas utility. And Dr. Andrew Weaver, former leader of the BC Green Party, recently presented on the latest climate science, and how to interpret it without panic or despair.

From 2008 to 2011, BCSEA ran the SolarBC project, administering grants to homeowners who installed solar hot water panels on their roofs. This was a test of concept initiative, funded by the BC government. BCSEA successfully supported dozens of BC homeowners to install solar hot water systems. Unfortunately the project did not confirm solar hot water as a good general strategy for homeowners or for provincial energy policy. Subsequent technological developments have made solar photovoltaic generation a much more effective energy solution for homeowners.

BCSEA has had big success in policy advocacy, using an approach of constructive engagement with government.

In 2005, for example, BCSEA set out to put sustainable energy and climate action on BC’s political agenda. At that time, BC’s climate change plans had minimal substance and no enforceable targets. As the 2005 provincial election approached, BCSEA swung into action. We analyzed and graded the platforms of the Liberals, NDP and Greens and published the results. And we published Sustainable Energy Policies for British Columbia, calling on the government to implement effective climate and energy policies. These included:

• a broad-based escalating carbon tax (an unrealistic ask, we were authoritatively told),
• binding GHG emissions reduction targets,
• a ban on the development of fossil fuel fired electricity generation, and
• a declining cap on the production of fossil fuels in BC.

While BCSEA doesn’t claim credit for all that followed, BCSEA  helped to create political space for the government to act. In the years after the 2005 election, the government enacted:

• a broad-based escalating tax on carbon (yes!),
• legislated GHG emissions reduction targets,
• the effective banning of the development of fossil fuel fired electricity generation,
• the 2008 Climate Action Plan, with quantified emissions reduction targets and GHG reduction measures to get three-quarters of the way to the 2020 target,
• and more.

BCSEA didn’t get all it asked for (no cap on fossil fuel production), but the advances in government climate policy after the 2005 election clearly shifted BC toward a sustainable energy transition.

While working constructively with the government, BCSEA was still able to say, “no,” to one of the government’s bad ideas. In 2000, the BC government ordered BC Hydro to build a second natural gas pipeline to Vancouver Island and use it to supply a couple of gas-fired power plants. The plan was for BC Hydro would meet additional province-wide load by building gas-fired power plants, and by locating the new generation on Vancouver Island, Hydro would avoid having to replace some aging sub-sea electrical cables that supplied power from the big hydro plants on the mainland. BCSEA worked to oppose this misguided plan and in doing so, got engaged in what became one of its major activities: intervening as a public interest advocate in BC Utilities Commission proceedings.

In 2004, the BC Utilities Commission ordered a hearing into the power purchase agreement between BC Hydro and the owners of a proposed gas-fired plant at Duke Point, near Nanaimo. This was meant to be the second of several gas-fired plants on Vancouver Island (the first, at Campbell River, was built in 2002.) BCSEA intervened, arguing that the power supply agreement should be rejected because it did not adequately address the potential liability from the greenhouse gas emissions from the power plant. The BCUC approved the agreement, but BCSEA continued the fight in court. Eventually BC Hydro and the government gave up, withdrew the project and cancelled the gas-fired electricity strategy.

After this initial experience at the BC Utilities Commission, BCSEA realized the BCUC is a key decision-maker on energy issues, and that participating in BCUC reviews of the plans of BC’s energy utilities is a great way to push for a sustainable energy transition. And so, BCSEA’s BCUC intervention team got its start. Since then, BCSEA has intervened in over 300 BCUC reviews of the plans of BC’s energy utilities. BCSEA’s intervention team, Bill Andrews (legal counsel) and I (consultant), advocate for various aspects of sustainable energy, such as increasing energy efficiency and conservation, and reducing GHG emissions (see BCSEA: 20 Years of Intervening at the BC Utilities Commission).

Education has always been an important part of BCSEA’s mandate. The Climate Change Showdown middle school program was started by the Kamloops Chapter in 2005 and quickly grew to reach schools and students across BC. Recognizing its value, BC’s municipalities have consistently supported the program, and BCSEA has had strong support from the educators who have delivered it. Recently rebranded as Cool It!, the program is in greater demand than ever. A high school component has recently been added.

From 2016 to 2019, BCSEA staged Energy Connections, a networking conference for businesses, practitioners and policy-makers. The conferences addressed both technical and policy issues across the whole range of sustainable energy: renewable generation, efficiency, transportation, buildings, industry and information technology; and we were able to attract many local leaders in the field as presenters and participants.

BCSEA’s chapters have actively engaged the public and advocated for change. Some of the many chapter activities and initiatives include:

• Women in Sustainable Energy (WISE), a regular event of the Vancouver Chapter, which brings sustainable energy businesses together with women interested in careers in the field,
• the Changing Gears fair in Victoria in 2014, showcasing all forms of sustainable transportation,
• the Kamloops Chapter’s Energy Fair, showcasing sustainable energy,
• candidates’ debates on energy and climate, held in Greater Victoria and Vancouver during the 2015 federal general election, and
• the Victoria Chapter’s 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 campaign, including a research paper and a town hall meeting event in 2016 to support the District of Saanich to adopt a target for Saanich (the whole community) to meet 100% of its energy needs with renewables by 2050.

Today, after twenty years, BCSEA is no longer called on to explain that climate change is happening or that energy can be generated from the wind and the sun. We are no longer a lonely voice, but one of many addressing the many aspects of the need to change. Governments at all levels now have significant climate action plans and targets. BC’s energy utilities are planning for energy transition. And the media now treats climate change as a serious reality.

But BCSEA is still needed, it seems. The energy transition is not happening as quickly as it needs to. The public and politicians need encouragement to believe the transition is realistic, worthwhile and affordable; and they still need to be persuaded to give it the same urgency as the more immediate and tangible demands of their daily lives.

And so Cool It! continues, as popular as ever.  The BCUC interventions continue, now refocused to the optimal execution of the utilities’ decarbonization plans. And our webinars and other activities continue, no longer explaining the need for energy transition, but rather explaining all the great things that are being done to make it happen.