National

B.C. seeks to regulate electricity for cryptocurrency miners, citing huge demands

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Apr, 2024 04:10 PM

British Columbia is proposing legal changes that would allow the government to regulate the supply of electricity to cryptocurrency miners.

A statement from the Ministry of Energy says cryptocurrency miners consume large amounts of electricity to constantly run high-powered computers, while creating very few jobs or economic opportunities.

It says the legislative amendments would allow the government to prohibit or restrict provision of electricity to cryptocurrency miners because "unchecked growth" of the sector could make it challenging and more costly to provide electricity to homes and other businesses.

The province directed the BC Utilities Commission in December 2022 to suspend new electricity connections for cryptocurrency mining for 18 months.

The statement says 21 projects, requesting a total of 11,700 gigawatt hours of power per year, were temporarily suspended from receiving power.

It says that amount of electricity is more than double what the new Site C dam will be able to generate.

Proposed changes also include amendments to repeal sections of the Clean Energy Act used to create the former government's Standing Offer Program to buy electricity.

The statement says purchases under the program, which was suspended in 2019, were made at well above market rates.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. hospital admissions break record as respiratory illness season nears peak

British Columbia's health minister says hospitals are dealing with a record number of in-patients as the province's respiratory illness season nears its peak. Health Minister Adrian Dix told a briefing that 10,435 people were in hospital as of Tuesday night, the most the province has ever seen, and many have respiratory illnesses.

B.C. hospital admissions break record as respiratory illness season nears peak

Conservatives call for ethics probe into Justin Trudeau's free Jamaican holiday stay

Conservative MP and ethics critic Michael Barrett sent a letter to Konrad von Finckenstein on Tuesday asking whether he knew Trudeau was staying at a luxury estate owned by a family friend. Barrett says the vacation is "not the equivalent of staying at a friend's home" calling it instead a gift with commercial value.

Conservatives call for ethics probe into Justin Trudeau's free Jamaican holiday stay

People with private drug coverage more likely to stick to prescriptions: StatCan

A new Statistics Canada study confirms that financial limitations are keeping people without private or employer-sponsored drug coverage from following through with their prescriptions. It's true for both those who have no coverage at all but also people who have some coverage through provincial or existing federal prescription programs.

People with private drug coverage more likely to stick to prescriptions: StatCan

Dr. Bonnie Henry to give update on flu season

B-C provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry is scheduled to provide an update this afternoon on the province's respiratory illness season. It's Henry's first update of 2024 and she'll be joined by Health Minister Adrian Dix.

Dr. Bonnie Henry to give update on flu season

Environment Canada warns parts of northern B.C. that -50 C wind chill could be coming

Environment Canada is warning parts of northern British Columbia to expect wind chill values as cold as -50 C for at least the rest of the week. An extreme cold warning issued for the Peace River region says an arctic ridge over the province means temperatures will remain between -30 and -40 C until Sunday.

Environment Canada warns parts of northern B.C. that -50 C wind chill could be coming

Vancouver police say jaywalking pedestrian pulled gun, started shooting at driver

A man has been arrested after a near-collision in Vancouver resulted in a pedestrian pulling out a gun and shooting at a driver. Police say the shooting happened Saturday on Commercial Drive near E. 12th Avenue. They say a motorist stopped abruptly to avoid hitting a jaywalker, and the two exchanged words.