On August 12, 2020, British Columbia and Canada announced increased funding to expand the Green Instructure program under the CleanBC Communities Fund (CCF). Together the governments are investing up to $47.39 million to support green infrastructure projects in communities across the province.
Propane can offer immediate opportunities to reduce emissions and provide an affordable energy choice to communities in B.C. that fit within the guidelines of the CleanBC Communities Fund.
Projects funded through the CCF are intended to support sustainable communities, create good jobs and build back a better, greener, affordable post-pandemic B.C. The overall focus of the CCF Green Infrastructure funding is on reducing GHG emissions. In particular, funding will be provided for projects that support one of the following outcomes:
British Columbia is accepting applications from local government, First Nations, Indigenous organizations, not-for-profit and for-profit organizations throughout B.C. for investments in clean-energy projects.
The CPA has highlighted some areas for a broad range of potential projects for CPA members to consider if they intend to apply for funding through this program.
Increased Access to Clean Energy Transportation
Auto propane is a cost-effective, globally trusted and low-emission automotive energy option. It has many economic and environmental advantages over traditional and alternative vehicle fuels.
Auto propane is ideally suited for school and transit buses, courier vans, police cars, taxis, limos and any other high-mileage vehicles, particularly those in the light-duty category. It has the largest refueling infrastructure of any alternative fuel in Canada; close to 100,000 vehicles are on the road today.
Increased Generation of Clean Energy
Many Indigenous and remote communities in Canada continue to rely on diesel for heating and power generation. This presents a variety of environmental, economic, technical, and social challenges including air and noise pollution, the risks of fuel spills/ leaks, high cost of energy, supply issues and capacity constraints.
There is an immediate opportunity to reduce GHG emissions in Indigenous and remote communities by replacing dirty fuels with lower emission propane.
The CPA will continue to work with the B.C. and Canadian governments to advance propane as a safe, affordable and reliable energy source that has many advantages over other energy technologies that are heavily dependent on massive public investment and which can take a considerable amount of time to fully implement.
For further information, please contact Tanis Fiss, CPA’s new government relations director for Western Canada at tanisfiss@propane.ca.