With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1501233
A s organizations set out to achieve their ESG targets over the coming years, savvy business leaders are taking the opportunity to explore low-carbon, renewable fuel sources and investigate ways in which they can switch to clean energy from fossil fuels. Due to its rich natural resources and conducive policy envi- ronment, British Columbia is leading the way in electrification. BC Hydro—British Columbia's largest electric utility—is offering expert advice, funding and incentives for businesses in energy- intensive sectors that are interested in reducing emissions with hydroelectricity. WHAT IS ELECTRIFICATION? Broadly speaking, electrification refers to the process of replacing technologies that are powered by fossil fuels with alternatives that use electricity. More specifically, low-carbon electrification in the industrial sector involves switching from fossil fuels to clean electricity at existing facilities and using electricity in new facilities instead of fossil fuels. Fuel switching oppor- tunities include compressors in the natural gas sector, diesel engines in mining and forestry, and process heat in the forest products industry. By choosing clean energy to power their operations, busi- nesses can greatly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and play their part in helping to reduce industry's carbon footprint. Report created in partnership with BC Hydro How BC Hydro is helping industry to electrify Supporting businesses on the path to a low-carbon economy W.A.C. Bennett Dam in northeast British Columbia is part of BC Hydro's Peace Canyon project 1. British Columbia 2. Washington 3. Idaho 4. Oregon 5. California 6. Montana 7. Arizona 8. Nevada 9. Colorado 10. New Mexico 11. Wyoming 12. Alberta 13. Utah 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 % clean 98% 85% 78% 69% 51% 45% 39% 24% 21% 17% 11% 10% 9% Cleanest electricity generation in western North America 98% of the electricity generated in British Columbia comes from renewable sources. (BC Hydro, 2021)