Vancouver's Gas Ban: Higher Costs, Less Choice, and No Real Environmental Impact
With rising infrastructure costs and dwindling electricity surpluses, balanced energy policies are crucial for the future of our energy systems, including those that keep us warm in our homes. This articles looks at some of the the hidden costs and consequences of removing choice and creating imbalanced energy systems.
1. How Natural Gas Powers North America: A Story of Energy Connections
Canada is a major supplier of natural gas to the U.S., with pipelines acting like superhighways for energy. These pipelines transport gas to regions across the U.S. This cross-border energy trade is a vital part of the North American economy and energy system.
2. Pipelines: Energy Superhighways
This chart shows border points where major gas pipelines cross from western Canada to the U.S. (red circles indicate the crossings that are in British Columbia):
3. Natural Gas Powers Electricity
Some of the natural gas exported from Canada is burned at power plants (yellow circles) to produce electricity:?
4. Cross-border energy sharing
Electricity made with gas – along with power created by other methods including hydro, coal wind and solar – finds its way to customers. North America is divided into zones that are able to share electricity. The yellow shading shows the Western Interconnection, unifying states and provinces on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.
5. A Shrinking Electricity Surplus
A lot of change is happening in the electricity space. Electrical power used to be abundant in Canada, but not any more. This is because of the demands of growing a population, skyrocketing adoption of energy-hungry AI, and pressures on traditionally dependable hydro power. This surplus has vanished. Electricity is now scarcer, making it harder to meet growing demand.
6. The High Cost of Converting to Electric Heating
There has been a move in some places to force builders to replace natural gas heating in new structures with electrical sources. Natural gas, on the coldest day of the year in British Columbia, accounts for twice as much energy as electricity. Those seeking to ban gas have not been able to explain what will happen in future as electricity scarcity continues to be a problem. That his how banning gas will make electricity scarcer and drive up costs.
In Washington State, voters recently voted to stopped cities from banning natural gas for these reasons and others, including that homeowners face costs exceeding $40,000 to replace natural gas systems with electric heating.
7. Vancouver’s Gas Ban: A Shift, Not a Solution
Several years ago, the City of Vancouver banned the use of natural gas in new buildings – a decision it is now reconsidering. While the city claimed that to be an environmental move, in reality it doesn’t stop natural gas from being used.?
As a result, the gas is simply burned elsewhere, turned into electricity, and shared in the international grid system. Consequently, Vancouver residents are no less reliant on natural gas for heating than they were before, except now the natural gas is converted to heat south of the border.?it's difficult to see how this qualifies as a climate solution.
8. Skyrocketing Costs of Electrical Infrastructure
Meanwhile, adding to the challenge and costs of Vancouver’s natural gas ban, the cost of installing electrical equipment throughout the energy system has skyrocketed in recent years. Transformers, for example, have nearly doubled in price. As a result, expanding the electricity grid and building new infrastructure takes more time and money, further straining the system.
9. The Big Picture: Why Policy Decisions Matter
Vancouver’s natural gas ban may seem environmentally responsible, but it pushes costs onto homeowners and limits their choices, resulting in more strain on an already overburdened electricity grid. Meanwhile, natural gas continues to play a critical role in North America’s energy system, whether it’s used directly or indirectly.
At a time when the public is rightly concerned about climate issues, it's buyer beware when considering the various proposals on offer on how to get there.
What can be done?
Good policy is possible, with these considerations in mind:
Program Supervisor
2 天前Great summary of the issues around natural gas vs electric as a heating source for new buildings. I’m confused as to why the fine people of Vancouver struggle with this decision. I have a feeling it’s due to a lack of clear understanding of the consequences of these decisions. So natural gas is actually ok…if it’s hidden from the public view (as the generator of electrical power). To me it’s clear…this is about virtue signaling and it’s dangerous for the residents of that city. Do they really want to live and work in cold water buildings?
Land Access, Stakeholder and Aboriginal Engagement, Regulatory Compliance
2 天前Vancouver is the "Quebec" of British Columbia. Reaping significant (disprortionate) benefits from natural gas royalties while disparaging a product that sensible people need. It is the seduction of affluence. The Provincial Liberals were elected on the promise of resource extraction and LNG development not that long ago. Vancouver's affair with California's extreme ideas will be hard to dismantle.
Sustainable Energy Consultant
2 天前Hi Stewart Muir. Could you provide some additional information on the cost comparison of primarily electric heating vs gas heating for new builds? I’m interested in understanding what the cost premium is for electric. Also, if not a switch to electric, what is a decarbonization pathways for residential buildings, and how does that cost compare? Thanks.
Former General Manager, Executive Director and Senior Advisor at NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines
2 天前As always, very educational Stewart. I’m grateful you take the time to pull the good information together. In the words of the famous Dolly Parton: “… dreams are special things. But dreams are of no value if they’re not equipped with wings and feet and hands and all that. If you’re going to make a dream come true, you’ve got to work with it. You can’t just sit around. That’s a wish. That’s not a dream.” You are contributing to the “all that” Stewart that people need to make sensible actions. ??
Mineral Land Management Consultant | Optimizing Commercial Outcomes & Enhancing Functional Expertise
2 天前The one aspect of these grand aspirational announcements disguised as a plan that I struggle to understand is why more people and "journalists" in particular aren't asking this fundamental question, "And what are the consequences if you're wrong about your assumptions about implementation logistics and the smooth transition you contemplate?" People who do actual plans for a living think through required resources, supply chain risks, implementation logistics, contingencies and signals that require corrective intervention as part of their plans. It appears those generally accepted practices don't apply when rainbows, unicorns, magic beans and fairy dust and a lot of virtue are at the foundation of a "plan".