CleanBC Roadmap increases renewable natural gas role of FortisBC

British Columbia’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 reaffirms FortisBC’s gas system will continue to play a key role in the province’s decarbonization while accelerating the transition toward renewable energy, including renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen, the utility has stated.

A diversified approach to climate action that leverages both the gas and electric systems provides ways to advance a lower-carbon future efficiently and affordably for FortisBC customers and all British Columbians.

The roadmap includes a cap on emissions from natural gas use in buildings and industrial sectors as well as accelerated electrification in sectors like transportation.

Over the last few years, FortisBC has been successful in bringing on significant new volumes of RNG, expecting to triple its supply from the start of the year in 2021 and tripling it again by the end of 2022. The utility will also assist in reaching CleanBC objectives through a greater focus on energy efficient technologies (such as gas and electric heat pumps and hybrid heating systems), helping to expand the province’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure and reduce emissions in the transportation sector.

“Increasing the amount of renewable gas in our system has always been a cornerstone of our vision for transforming B.C.’s energy future,” Roger Dall‘Antonia, president and CEO, FortisBC, said. “A lower-carbon gas system allows a broader variety of low-carbon energy options, greater reliability and resiliency for our provincial energy system and provides British Columbian homes and businesses the choice of what energy works best for them – economically and environmentally.”

In late 2019, FortisBC announced its 30BY30 target – aiming to reducing its customer emissions by 30 per cent by the year 2030 (compared to 2007 levels) through four primary directions: investing in low and zero carbon transportation, supporting the growth of renewable gases, using LNG to help lower global emissions and increasing investment in energy efficiency and conservation. At the end of 2020, in the first full year pursuing its 30BY30 target, FortisBC reduced customer emissions by 420,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which is the equivalent of taking 128,000 cars off the road in one year.

“30BY30 was never a finish line for us – but a shorter term milestone to track our progress,” Dall’Antonia said. “We’ve had great success thus far and we’ve shown the actions we’re taking will create significant GHG reductions. Moving forward, we’ll continue to champion innovative programs and technologies that will help our customers save money on their monthly energy bills while also making long-term and sustainable reductions to their carbon footprint.”