BC Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens has introduced a private members bill to address what he deemed to be "serious flaws" in existing energy legislation.
The Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act seeks to make British Columbia more competitive on the global market and less dependent on the United States.
"Today, we take a critical step toward preserving jobs, protecting British Columbia's energy security, and ensuring fairness in our fuel markets," Giddens said, suggesting the BC NDP's Low Carbon Fuels Act has "put Canadian workers and businesses at risk."
The Prince George-Mackenzie MLA highlighted the plight of Tidewater Renewables, a "critical asset producing renewable diesel" in his riding that is "facing insolvency due to unfair government policies that allow American fuel producers to flood our market with subsidized diesel while claiming BC's low-carbon fuel credits."
"This policy failure has created an uncompetitive and unsustainable market that threatens to shut down BC's only renewable diesel refinery." he warned. "Losing this facility would not only cost good-paying jobs, but also weaken BC's refining capacity, making us more dependent on US fuel imports."
Giddens argued that shutting down the facility would also "increase fuel price volatility and reduce our ability to manage our own energy security."
"There is no environmental benefit in transporting renewable diesel by rail from Louisiana to BC while shutting down a local refinery that provides the same product closer to home," he pointed out.
"This bill is about fixing the problem, saving jobs, and putting British Columbians first. Our province needs practical, common-sense energy policies — not government mismanagement that threatens our economy, our workers, and our energy future."
The Low Carbon Fuels Act came into effect on January 1, 2024, replacing the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act. According to the government, it "creates a financial incentive to reward the use of low carbon fuels in proportion to the amount of measurable greenhouse gas reductions they yield when substituted for conventional fuels."