Climate Action Partners Program
Our climate action partners program supports governments and other organizations throughout BC in achieving our shared climate action goals through the roles that communities and utilities play, as identified in the Province's CleanBC Roadmap. Our program funds climate action projects, or a dedicated employee, to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and foster more affordable energy solutions in their community.
Contact us to learn how we can partner together to take climate action.
A few examples of what our partners are working on
Our climate action partners consider each project and initiative individually. Here are some examples of the work our climate action partners are doing.
The senior energy specialist with the City of Kamloops took advantage of our rebate program to conserve energy significantly within the Kamloops Tournament Capital Centre. The specialist did so by replacing the building envelope of the Canada Games Pool, integrating the two independent boiler rooms and installing a new pool heat recovery dehumidifier. The specialist also conserved energy within the Westsyde Pool and fitness centre by installing new boilers and a new pool heat recovery dehumidifier.
The specialist with the City of Kamloops was also the first to implement a “See the Heat” campaign. The City provided thermal imaging cameras and draft proofing kits for residents to see if and how heat may be escaping from their homes, and what actions they could take to prevent heat loss, reduce emissions and save money.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan, the Regional District of North Okanagan and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen all teamed to develop a feedstock inventory for the area, and found the entire Okanagan boasts significant diverse biomass sources.
The senior energy specialist with the Regional District of Central Okanagan is now exploring opportunities to recognize the Okanagan Valley as a bio economic zone.
The City of Kelowna has placed heavy importance on increasing electric vehicle infrastructure within the City, and on September 27, 2021, City Council unanimously endorsed the specialist's Community Electric Vehicle and E-Bike Strategy.
With the strategy in place, the senior energy specialist is working to increase residents’ ability to charge their electric vehicles throughout the City, by constructing more publicly available electric vehicle charging infrastructure at City parking lots and parkades.
The community energy specialist with Musqueam Indian Band (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) used FortisBC’s Energy Conservation Assistance Program and the Indigenous Communities Conservation Program to help assess energy use in Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) homes. With that knowledge in hand, the specialist is now evaluating the potential of using heat recovery ventilation systems to reduce energy consumption in on-reserve Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) homes. The project also investigates the effects heat recovery ventilation systems have on indoor air quality and humidity levels.
The specialist is also doing similar work for on-reserve buildings owned by Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm). This includes replacing old and inefficient equipment with higher efficiency equipment, retrofitting appliances and lighting and more. The specialist is assessing all Musqueaum (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) public buildings and piloted a gas absorption heat pump.
FortisBC's climate action partners: meet Kesh Bandara
Kesh has worked in energy his entire career. Now he’s using his experience to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Township of Langley.
1FortisBC uses the term renewable and low-carbon gas to refer collectively to the low-carbon gases or fuels that the utility can acquire under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation, which are: Renewable Natural Gas (also called RNG or biomethane), hydrogen, synthesis gas (from wood waste) and lignin. FortisBC’s renewable and low-carbon gas portfolio currently includes only Renewable Natural Gas. Other gases and fuels may be added to the program over time. Depending on their source, all of these gases have differing levels of lifecycle carbon intensity. However, all of these gases are low carbon when compared to the lifecycle carbon intensity of conventional natural gas. The current burner tip emission factor of RNG is 0.27 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule of energy (gCO2e/MJ) and the current renewable and low-carbon gas portfolio lifecycle emissions for stationary combustion are -22 gCO2e/MJ. This is below B.C.’s low carbon threshold for lifecycle carbon intensity of 30.8 gCO2e/MJ as set out in the 2024 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulation amendments.