British Columbians are all in favour of renewable electricity, like wind and solar power, as well as nuclear power, but many are opposed to a number of net-zero policies, such as electric vehicle mandates and bans on natural gas for home heating, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs poll conducted for B.C.’s Energy Futures Institute.
"These results highlight the attitudes of British Columbians about many of the policies being deployed in pursuit of a ‘net zero’ future," said Barry Penner, a former BC Liberal environment minister and current chairman of the Energy Futures Institute.
The results may also give the NDP and Conservative Party of B.C. something to think and talk about in the upcoming provincial election campaign.
The poll, conducted in mid-August, found 53 per cent of respondents in B.C. oppose the province’s electric vehicle mandates.
B.C.’s EV mandates – originally set in 2019 and then updated with accelerated targets in 2023 – require 26 per cent of all light-duty vehicle sales to be zero emission by 2026, 90 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.
Auto dealers that fail to meet these targets face financial penalties. The poll found 38 per cent of B.C. residents support the EV sales mandates, and 53 per cent oppose them. While 35 per cent said they were strongly opposed to the EV mandates, only 13 per cent were strongly in favour.
The poll found a majority of British Columbians are also concerned about energy security issues related to natural gas for home heating. A number of municipal governments have adopted policies to phase out natural gas for home heating in new buildings, though the ABC Vancouver-dominated city council recently announced plans to reverse Vancouver’s policy on a ban on natural gas connections in new builds.
The Ipsos poll found 66 per cent of respondents agreed with provincial policies that would prevent municipal governments from making energy policy decisions, including bans on natural gas hookups.
The poll found surprisingly strong support for nuclear power.
B.C. has official policies banning the use of nuclear power. The poll found 58 per cent of British Columbians in support of nuclear power and 27 per cent opposed. The poll also found strong support – 64 per cent – for new hydro-electric dams.
But the poll found even stronger support for renewables – wind, solar and geothermal power – with 82 per cent in favour of expanding renewables to meet future electricity demands.
The poll also found strong support for economic impact analysis of all provincial energy policies.
“Following the controversy last year when the B.C. government disputed a predicted $28 billion negative impact to GDP by 2030 as a result of their CleanBC policies, 75 per cent of those surveyed would like to see comprehensive economic impact assessments of proposed energy policies so that both environmental and economic factors are considered,” the Energy Futures Institute said in a press release.
"Strong support for provincial control over energy policy reflects the public's desire for consistent approaches to our energy challenges,” Penner said. “There's even stronger support for renewable energy but a majority is also open to other options and express concerns about EV mandates.”
