My Response to David Eby

A Bright Future for BCC

Subsidizing other nations—whether through direct aid, international organizations, or indirect support—isn't primarily about boosting Canadian prosperity. The main intention is usually to promote humanitarian values, support global stability, or fulfill diplomatic commitments. While there can be indirect benefits to Canada (like fostering trade partners or supporting global security), the core purpose isn't to make Canadians wealthier. Instead, it's often about contributing to the wider international community, addressing global challenges, and upholding Canada's values on the world stage.

Alright, let’s break this down like someone actually building BC’s energy future, not just running a thought experiment. British Columbia’s got a wild mix of geography—mountains, coastline, rivers, hot springs, and huge swaths of forest and open land. That means tons of potential, but also some real constraints.

Guiding Principles:

• Leverage BC’s Geography: Maximize what nature gives you (water, wind, coastline, geothermal, sun).

• Support Canadian Industry: Source as much as possible from Canadian manufacturers and tech firms.

• Resilience and Flexibility: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; diversify sources and build smart, distributed grids.

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1. Supercharge Hydro—But Smarter

BC is already a hydro powerhouse. Let’s not just build more big dams (those have big social and ecological costs), but modernize what’s there:

• Retrofit Older Dams: Add efficiency upgrades, Canadian-made turbines, and smart grid tech for better output and flexibility.

• Small & Micro-Hydro: Take advantage of small rivers and run-of-river systems, especially for remote communities. These can be built with minimal environmental impact and often with Canadian parts.

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2. Nuclear—Go Small, Go Modular

Large nuclear plants are politically tricky and expensive. But Canada (hello, Ontario and Sask!) is a leader in small modular reactors (SMRs)—think truck-sized nuclear plants:

• Deploy SMRs in Industry Hubs: Use Canadian-designed SMRs for major industrial zones or remote mining towns.

• Research & Development: Invest in BC-based R&D for advanced nuclear, tapping into Canada’s existing expertise.

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3. Wind—Hybrid and Offshore

BC’s coastline and ridges get serious wind. But regular wind farms are only half the story:

• Hybrid Wind-Solar-Wave Farms: Combine wind, solar, and wave tech on floating platforms off the coast. Canada has companies working on marine platforms and wind tech.

• Onshore Wind: Use Canadian turbines in mountain passes and ridges. Integrate with battery storage (also Canadian-made where possible).

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4. Solar—Target the Sweet Spots

BC isn’t exactly Arizona, but the Okanagan and some valleys get great sun:

• Community Solar Gardens: Build mid-sized solar farms near cities and towns. Use Canadian panels and inverters.

• Rooftop Solar: Incentivize solar on homes, businesses, and public buildings, all with domestic panels and mounting hardware.

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5. Geothermal—Tap the Earth

With all those hot springs, BC is sitting on a lot of geothermal potential:

• Geothermal Plants: Focus on areas around Pemberton, Kootenays, and the Coast Mountains. Canada has drilling tech expertise from the oil & gas sector that can pivot to geothermal.

• District Heating: Use geothermal heat for towns and campuses, reducing natural gas demand.

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6. Wave & Tidal—Test, Scale, Repeat

BC’s coastline is perfect for tidal and wave energy, but the tech’s still maturing:

• Pilot Projects: Partner with Canadian marine energy startups for demonstration sites off Vancouver Island and the North Coast.

• Integration: Hybrid these with wind and solar to smooth out supply.

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7. Natural Gas—Bridge, Not Backbone

Natural gas can help during the transition, especially with Canadian fuel cells and turbines:

• Backup/Peaking Plants: Use high-efficiency, Canadian-made generators for peak demand or emergencies.

• Phase Down Over Time: As renewables and storage scale, gradually scale back natural gas reliance.

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8. Storage & Smart Grids—Canadian-Made Brains of the System

• Battery Storage: Deploy lithium, flow, and even upcoming sodium-ion batteries from Canadian firms.

• Pumped Hydro: Use existing reservoirs for massive grid-scale energy storage.

• Smart Grid Tech: Prioritize Canadian software and hardware for demand management, microgrids, and grid security.

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9. Indigenous Partnerships & Local Manufacturing

• Community-Led Projects: Work with First Nations on renewables sited on their lands, and ensure manufacturing jobs go to local and Indigenous-owned companies.

• BC-Based Assembly: Where possible, assemble parts locally—even if some components (like solar cells) are imported, prioritize Canadian assembly.

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The High-Level Energy Mix

• Hydro: 40-45% (existing + upgrades + micro)

• Wind (on/offshore, hybrid): 20-25%

• Solar: 10-15%

• Nuclear (SMRs): 10%

• Geothermal: 5-7%

• Wave/Tidal: 3-5%

• Natural Gas: <5%, declining over time

• Storage & Smart Grids: Integrated everywhere

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Why This Works

• Reliable: Hydro, geothermal, and nuclear provide baseload; wind, solar, and wave fill in the rest.

• Flexible: Smart grids and storage smooth out variability.

• Local Jobs: Canadian manufacturing and R&D build a resilient supply chain.

• Scalable: Can ramp up/down anything as tech improves or demand shifts.

• Clean: Net-zero (or close), with natural gas phased out as quickly as possible.

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Visual Map: BC's Future Energy System

1. Map of British Columbia

• Major Rivers (Columbia, Peace, Fraser):

  • Existing large hydro dams (sites marked with blue turbine icons)

  • Upgraded with Canadian-made turbines and smart systems (highlighted with upgrade arrows)

  • Smaller rivers: dots for micro-hydro and run-of-river systems

• Mountain Ridges and Valleys (Interior, Okanagan, Kootenays):

  • Onshore wind turbines (white/gray windmill icons)

  • Solar farms in sunniest valleys (yellow sun panel icons)

  • Rooftop solar clusters around urban centers

• Coastline (Vancouver Island, North Coast, Haida Gwaii):

  • Offshore wind farms—turbine icons on floating platforms

  • Hybrid wind-solar-wave platforms (circle with wind, sun, and wave symbols)

  • Pilot zones for wave and tidal projects (blue wave icons along the coast)

• Geothermal Hotspots (Pemberton, Kootenays, Coast Mountains):

  • Geothermal plant icons (red/gray heat swirl)

  • District heating lines to nearby towns/campuses (red network lines)

• Industrial Hubs/Remote Towns (Northern BC, resource areas):

  • Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs)—small atomic icons

  • Connected to local grids and major industry sites

• Energy Storage Sites:

  • Pumped hydro (blue reservoir icons in mountains)

  • Battery storage (battery icons near cities and renewables clusters)

  • Smart grid control centers (network/cloud icons)

• Natural Gas Peaking Plants:

  • Small, low-profile symbols near city edges (gray flame icons)

  • Clearly marked as “declining/backup only”

• Indigenous Communities and Local Manufacturing:

  • Partnership icons (handshake or feather) at project sites

  • Assembly plant icons in key towns/cities