British Columbians on Energy and Resources Issues
Vancouver, BC October 1, 2026 – Ipsos conducted a poll on behalf of the Energy Futures Institute asking British Columbians for their views on energy and resource issues in the province.
Electricity Demand and Supply
Survey respondents were shown the following information.
For the past three years, B.C. has been a net importer of electricity from the United States and Alberta. In some periods, imported electricity has supplied up to 25% of B.C.'s needs. BC Hydro forecasts that electricity demand in British Columbia could increase by as much as 20% between now and 2030, with demand continuing to grow in following decades.
The $16 billion Site C dam is now complete. BC Hydro has also signed contracts with several wind power producers and a solar power producer to provide additional electricity by the early 2030s. Even with these additions, BC Hydro has identified a capacity gap by as early as 2030. This is one of the reasons the government gave this summer for BC Hydro purchasing an existing natural-gas-fired power plant on Vancouver Island, after earlier planning to have it shut down as part of a policy to phase out natural gas electricity generation in the province.
The B.C. government has also said BC Hydro will begin studying the possibility of another large hydroelectric project in northeastern British Columbia and/or near the mid-coast. The B.C. government's latest Climate Change Accountability Report says the province is not on track to meet its greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets.
With that background in mind, a majority of British Columbians support a variety of actions to increase or secure British Columbia's electricity supply over the next few decades. The strongest support is for renewables such as solar (83%), wind (78%) and geothermal (76%), but nearly three-quarters also support continued operation of natural-gas-fired electricity (74%) and additional hydroelectric dams (73%). A majority also support extending emission target timelines (63%) and allowing nuclear power projects (54%).
British Columbians also support a number of ideas to manage electricity demand such as giving lower priority to data centres and cryptocurrency operations to manage electricity demand. Nearly seven-in-ten say they support lower priority for new artificial intelligence/data centres (69%) and new cryptocurrency operations (67%) that require large amounts of electricity.
Residents are more divided when it comes to time-of-day pricing (53% support vs. 38% oppose), higher rates past a specified usage (51% support vs. 39% oppose), giving lower priority to mining projects (49% support vs. 33% oppose) and giving lower priority to LNG facilities (44% support vs. 33% oppose).
There is little support (24%) for increasing rates to discourage consumption.
Revised Emissions Reporting
Survey respondents were shown the following information.
BC's provincial greenhouse gas inventory primarily measures greenhouse gas emissions produced within British Columbia. Emissions that occur outside the province as a result of energy that BC imports or exports are generally not included in BC's provincial emissions total. The following questions ask whether the BC government should also report information about some of these emissions occurring outside the province.
A majority of British Columbians support the BC government separately reporting greenhouse gas emissions associated with generating electricity imported into British Columbia, including electricity generated from natural gas and coal. Overall, 53% support this reporting, while two-in-ten (19%) are opposed. Three-in-ten (28%) are undecided about this idea.
British Columbians are mixed in support of the BC government separately reporting an estimate of the global greenhouse gas impact of LNG exported from British Columbia. About half (48%) support this reporting, while two-in-ten (20%) are opposed. One-third (32%) have no opinion on this idea.
British Columbians are generally supportive of governments encouraging the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology. Slightly more than six-in-ten (62%) support governments encouraging the development of CCUS technology, while only 15% are opposed.
Pipelines
British Columbians support further upgrades to the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline system to increase oil export capacity. Two-thirds (67%) of residents support upgrades to increase capacity, while slightly less than two-in-ten (18%) are opposed.
British Columbians support building the proposed new oil pipeline to the south coast to increase Canadian oil exports to international markets. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of residents support building this new oil pipeline, while two-in-ten (21%) are opposed.
LNG
British Columbians support the development of additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in British Columbia. More than six-in-ten (63%) residents support additional LNG facilities, while slightly less than two-in-ten (18%) are opposed.
There is no consensus among British Columbians as to what energy LNG export facilities should use in the liquefaction process. There is a preference for electricity (36%) over natural gas engines (22%), but many residents say it does not matter to them (19%) or they have no opinion (23%).
Building Energy and Natural Gas
British Columbians generally support allowing builders of new homes and commercial buildings to choose electricity, natural gas, or a combination of both for space and water heating. Six-in-ten (61%) support allowing builders to choose, while two-in-ten (20%) are opposed.
Electric Vehicles
Survey respondents were shown the following information.
B.C. legislation requires automakers to meet minimum percentages of new light-duty vehicle sales that qualify as zero-emission vehicles. Manufacturers who do not achieve the required percentage of new car sales may face a $20,000 penalty for each vehicle that exceeds the percentage of non-electric (ie. internal combustion) vehicles allowed.
Regular non-plug-in hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius Hybrid or Honda Civic Hybrid, which are typically less expensive to purchase than fully-electric vehicles, do not count toward the required percentage. The target is 26% for the 2026 model year and 75% for the 2035 model year; a revised interim target for 2030 has not yet been announced.
British Columbians support allowing regular non-plug-in hybrid vehicles to at least partially count toward the required zero-emission vehicle sales percentage. Seven-in-ten (70%) residents support including regular non-plug-in hybrid vehicles and only 14% are opposed.
British Columbians support reinstating provincial government rebates for consumers who purchase qualifying electric vehicles. Two-thirds (67%) support reinstating these rebates, while two-in-ten (20%) are opposed.
Gasoline/diesel vehicles still dominate in British Columbia. Two-thirds (65%) of BC residents say they own or lease a gasoline-powered or diesel-powered vehicle. Far fewer own an all-electric vehicle (9%), a non-plug-in hybrid (8%) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (6%).
Many British Columbians are considering alternatives to gasoline/diesel powered vehicles for their next vehicle. About one-quarter (27%) of residents say their next vehicle is most likely to be gasoline/diesel powered. Others are most likely to purchase or lease a plug-in hybrid vehicle (15%), an all-electric vehicle (14%) or a non-plug-in hybrid vehicle (11%).
Price and battery life are the two main factors that make some British Columbians less likely to purchase an all-electric vehicle. A majority of residents cite purchase price as a factor making them less likely to buy an all-electric vehicle (55%) and about half mention battery life/battery replacement cost (48%). Other top factors include limited driving range (38%), reduced driving range in cold weather (37%), cost of maintenance and repair (34%), having no convenient charge at home (33%) and the time required to charge (33%).
About the Study
These are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted September 8 to 14, 2026 on behalf of the Energy Futures Institute. For this survey, a sample of 800 adult British Columbians were surveyed online with sample sourced through the Ipsos panel. Data was weighted by BC region, age, gender and education, in accordance with Census proportions. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±4.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Kyle Braid
SVP, Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 604 788-2417
[email protected]
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