B.C. government looks to diversify export markets through fast-tracked energy projects

With a trade war still on the horizon between Canada and the United States, British Columbia is taking action on increasing energy projects.

The NDP government announced 18 energy projects throughout the province will now be fast-tracked. The projects ranging for mineral extraction to wind and solar, are estimated to be worth approximately $20 billion and employ 8,000 British Columbians.

“The actions being taken now are very hostile to Canada and they take this sort of action. British Columbia has the most diversified economy in terms of its export markets but we need to become more diversified,” said B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix. “Just because we are more diversified more than Alberta or Ontario doesn’t mean we are diversified in the way that we need to be. so having opportunities to export our products to Asia or to Europe or to Africa and other jurisdictions is really important.”

While wind and solar projects are now exempt from environmental assessments, mineral projects like the proposed expansion of the Highland Valley Copper mine are not. That project has also received some opposition from local First Nations, demanding a three-party review of the assessment, while challenges over land rights between the First Nations also drags on.

“The environmental assessment projects, those are going to continue but there are a lot of things between a final investment decision and where we are now, in the case of these projects, that government can be very helpful in seeing them happen. And it doesn’t assume the result but we have to get to decisions more quickly in B.C., and get the jobs created on the ground. We need that now because so much of our economy is under threat because of the withdrawal of our traditional access to the American market,” stated Dix.