5th Session, 42nd Parliament

(2024) THIRD READING

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Certified correct as passed Third Reading on the 7th day of May, 2024

Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly

HONOURABLE JOSIE OSBORNE

MINISTER OF ENERGY, MINES

AND LOW CARBON INNOVATION

BILL 24 – 2024

ENERGY STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2024

HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

Clean Energy Act

Section 7 (1) (

h) of the Clean Energy Act, S.B.C. 2010, c. 22, is repealed.

Part 4 is repealed.

Section 35 (

l) is repealed.

Utilities Commission Act

4 The Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 473, is amended by adding the following section:

Provision of electricity service for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining

21.1

(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations respecting the provision by a public utility of electricity service for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows:

(

a) prohibiting, for a specified period or indefinitely, a public utility from supplying service to a person for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining;

(

b) setting a rate, or requiring the commission to set a rate, that does any of the following:

(

i) establishes the charge to be paid for energy or capacity supplied to a person for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining;

(ii) establishes limits on the amount of energy or capacity that may be supplied to a person for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining;

(iii) establishes when service may be supplied to a person for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining;

(iv) establishes conditions that must be met to be entitled to receive service from a public utility for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining;

(

c) enabling a public utility to collect from its customers the costs it incurs or the revenue forecasted to be lost as a result of a regulation under this section;

(

d) defining cryptocurrency to include a specified digital medium of exchange, unit of account or store of value;

(

e) defining cryptocurrency mining to include or not include a specified activity respecting cryptocurrency.

(3) In making regulations under this section, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make different regulations in relation to different persons, places, activities or circumstances or different classes of persons, places, activities or circumstances.

(4) A rate set under subsection (2) (

b) or (

c) is deemed to be set by order of the commission under

section 58.

(5) A regulation made under subsection (2) (c), insofar as it does not set a rate, is deemed to be an order of the commission under this Part.

(6) A public utility or the commission, as applicable, must comply with a regulation made under this

section despite

(

a) any other provision of this Act, except

section 3,

(

b) any provision of a regulation under this Act, except a direction under

section 3, or

(

c) any previous decision of the commission.

(7) A regulation made under this

section applies in relation to the provision of electricity service by a public utility despite

(

a) a regulation under

section 22 made before the date this

section comes into force, or

(

b) an order under

section 88 (3) made before the date this

section comes into force.

Section 99 is amended

(

a) by renumbering the

section as

section 99 (1), and

(

b) by adding the following subsection:

(2) This

section does not apply in relation to the following:

(

a) a rate that, under

section 21.1 (4), is deemed to be set by order of the commission;

(

b) a regulation that, under

section 21.1 (5), is deemed to be an order of the commission.

Section 101 (1) (

b) is amended by adding " , other than an order deemed under

section 21.1 (4) or (5) to have been made by the commission, " after " any other decision or order of the commission ".

Consequential Amendment

Water Utility Act

Section 4 (

b) of the Water Utility Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 485, is amended by striking out " 28, 29, 44.1, 44.2, 45 (2), (3), (5) and (6), 58 (2.1) and (2.2) and 58.1,

Part 3.1 and sections " and substituting " 21.1, 28, 29, 44.1, 44.2, 45 (2), (3), (5) and (6), 58 (2.1) to (2.4), 58.1, ".

Commencement

8 This Act comes into force on the date of Royal Assent.

Copyright © King's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada