Abstract
Achieving the greatly enhanced levels of reduction in energy demand that are required for climate stabilization will require new approaches to energy efficiency and conservation that go well beyond conventional approaches. Broadening the scope from discrete goals to systemic development path changes can contribute to sustainable futures by helping to overcome barriers to energy efficiency and by enhancing and expanding co-benefits, including improving social welfare and energy security. We call this approach transformative energy efficiency and conservation (TEEC). The province of British Columbia, Canada, has recently emerged as a locus for new energy efficiency and conservation initiatives that push the boundaries of what has been tried before in this jurisdiction. This paper examines the British Columbia case concluding that, although still in the early stages, the province is taking steps toward the development path changes that would be required to achieve transformative energy efficiency and conservation.
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Notes
This figure is calculated using the utility’s (2008) mid-range (76,800 GWh) load forecast for 2027. The stretch energy savings goals for the low (72,191 GWh) and high (81,511 GWh) range load forecasts represent a seven- and an 11-fold increase from Power Smart achievements to date.
BC will hold a provincial election in May 2009. It remains to be seen whether the changes in provincial policy regime described here will be maintained (the main opposition party has campaigned against the carbon tax). This underlines the potential political fragility of policy change.
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Dusyk, N., Berkhout, T., Burch, S. et al. Transformative energy efficiency and conservation: a sustainable development path approach in British Columbia, Canada. Energy Efficiency 2, 387–400 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-009-9048-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-009-9048-8