Dear Editor,
B.C. now has over 5 million people, according to Statistics Canada, and according to the BC Budget 2019, 2.54 million people are employed. The BC economy added 26,800 jobs in 2018 and 92 per cent or 24,700 were full-time jobs. The BC budget 2019 states: “We all benefit when we build more efficient buildings-conserving energy cuts down on pollution and makes buildings healthier and more comfortable.
The 2019 Budget provides $41 million over three years to make energy-savings improvements more accessible and affordable for all British Columbians” (While putting money back into people’s pockets). Clean BC lays out new funding of $902 million over three years, for protecting nature and powering our future.
Our currents government could also follow our neighbours to the east example and introduce the PACE (Property Assessment Clean Energy) program. The only cost to our government would be the passing of the legislation. That program is estimated to produce 20,000 new, full-time jobs in Alberta and is self-funded. That PACE has a proven track record and of commercial buildings, it is instantly cash flow positive. It can make whole communities, who access PACE, cleaner, more efficient and save the taxpayers money.
PACE would be excellent for our province as well as Clean BC. It just needs to be enacted by our government. PACE would provide new, full-time jobs in every single community in BC.
Martin Holzbauer
Thornhill, B.C.
