In 2016, Michael and Sharon Molnar purchased the former site of the shuttered Lavington Glass Plant in Coldstream. The Molnars then launched their own company, Restoration Lands, with big ideas for the 92-acre industrial site near Vernon, which included a 450,000-square-foot glass plant. The main idea was the Okanagan Eco Industrial Park, which aims to […]
BC Hydro
Why BC Hydro is ‘Doubling Down on Renewable Power’ with Latest Call to Action
British Columbia’s provincial energy supplier has launched another call for power, seeking to secure new sources of affordable, clean electricity that will support the region’s economy and create skilled jobs, according to Premier David Eby. “B.C. will be the economic engine of Canada’s new economy, and that engine will be powered by abundant clean electricity,” […]
BC Hydro and the Province Collab with Local Firm to Launch Electrification Pilot
As the region’s population increases steadily, BC Hydro has launched a “pioneering pilot project” in collaboration with the provincial government in a bid to support more housing powered by clean electricity. The new initiative from the Province and BC Hydro—described as a “Canadian first”—is aimed at supporting the electrification of multi-unit residential buildings. The project […]
BC Hydro Outlines Goals for Province’s Power Grid in ‘Clean Power Action Plan’
The Province of British Columbia this month published a report on the current state, and planned future, of the region’s power grid. The May 2025 report, titled “Energizing our economy: B.C.’s Clean Power Action Plan,” highlights the fact that 98% of the province’s electricity is generated from clean sources. The report introduces the “Clean Power […]
$3M in Funding Available for B.C. Energy Innovation
The B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) has launched the Call for Energy Storage Innovation, a strategic partnership with BC Hydro aimed at advancing scalable energy storage solutions and grid innovations across the province. The initiative offers up to $3 million in non-dilutive funding for projects that accelerate the commercialization of clean energy technologies. “We have partnered with […]
Canadian Investment Aims to Supercharge B.C.’s Electric Highway and Beyond
The Province of British Columbia continues to invest toward an ambitious goal: to electrify the highways of B.C. and ensure that every community has access to a fast-charging station. The government earmarked $30 million in its 2024 budget to add more than 500 public charging stations, building on roughly 5,000 currently in place today. “We […]
Arca, Intelligent City Among Winners Of 2024 BC Cleantech Awards
This past winter was Canada’s warmest on record by a wide margin, and the low snowpack in the mountains of British Columbia has authorities warning of potential droughts, increased wildfires, and water shortages this summer. The signs of climate change have never been more clearly on display, and there has never been a better time […]
Province Earmarks $30 Million to Finish Building BC’s ‘Electric Highway’ in 2024
The Province of British Columbia continues to invest toward an ambitious goal: to electrify the highways of B.C. and ensure that every community has access to a fast-charging station. The government has earmarked $30 million in its 2024 budget to add more than 500 public charging stations, building on the 5,000 already in place today. […]
BC’s Electric Highway About to Get More Expensive?
British Columbians are among the highest adopters of Zero Emission Vehicles in North America, with approximately 18% of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2022 being EVs. More than 85,000 light-duty EVs were registered in BC in last year, up from 5,000 in 2016. Since opening its first public charging station in 2018, usage across FortisBC’s […]
As Vancouver Drivers Adopt Electric Vehicles, Rural BC Gets Ready to Charge
For several years I maintained an annual summer tradition of travelling from Vancouver to Alberta, deploying a different itinerary each road trip. The idea of logging all those kilometres—about 2,000 per trip—without spending money on gas is appealing. But for a long time rural British Columbia seemed hostile to the electric vehicle, with limited charging […]