Proposed Amendment to Low Carbon Fuels Act Aims to Support BC’s Renewable Diesel Industry

“British Columbians expect MLAs to be working on their behalf, and the Conservative Party is ready and willing to fight for BC jobs. The Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act could be passed now if David Eby called back the Legislature.”  – John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia

The Conservative Party of British Columbia is extremely concerned with flaws in the Low Carbon Fuels Act that are putting British Columbia’s fuel refineries at a disadvantage. As written, the current legislation has inadvertently subsidized American renewable diesel production with credits from British Columbia at a time when the US Government is already subsidizing their own domestic renewable diesel production. Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Kiel Giddens has drafted a Private Member’s Bill to fix the issue that he is hoping to present in the Legislature.

 

“The current Act has created an unfair and uncompetitive renewable diesel credit market in BC leading to dumping of American renewable diesel into our province,” said Kiel Giddens, Conservative Party of BC MLA for Prince George – Mackenzie and Critic for Labour. “We are calling on the NDP to get back to the Legislature to pass my private member’s bill to close this loophole before this unfair advantage leads to job losses in my community.”

 

Giddens is proposing an amendment to the Low Carbon Fuels Act seeking to level the playing field for BC renewable diesel and to ensure that refineries like Tidewater Renewables in Prince George remain viable. The legislative amendment is designed to ensure that BC refineries remain competitive by eliminating the double-dipping in subsidies from renewable fuels from outside of B.C.

 

“Tidewater Renewables has invested significant capital in B.C. and hired workers at a time when our natural resource sectors are struggling,” said Rosalyn Bird, MLA for Prince George-Valemount. “The NDP have known about this problem for months and are missing in action.”

 

Tidewater is a major employer in Prince George and Northern BC and is extremely important for B.C.’s overall economy.

 

“Renewable diesel produced in B.C. helps to fuel our economy, and putting these strategic assets at risk will undermine B.C.’s competitiveness and energy security,” said Sheldon Clare, MLA for Prince George-North Cariboo.

 

Conservative Leader & Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, along with MLAs Kiel Giddens (Prince George-Mackenzie), Rosalyn Bird (Prince George-Valemount), and Sheldon Clare (Prince George-North Cariboo) have met with Tidewater Renewables on several occasions to better understand the challenges the company is facing due to current legislation and policy design. Collectively, they are calling on the NDP to call back the legislature and support British Columbians in this time of uncertainty.