Overview
The Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act received Royal Assent on May 29, 2025. The Provincial Government has indicated its intent to prescribe wind and solar projects as Level 3 Streamlined Projects. If that occurs, the full lifecycle of these projects would fall under the BCER’s regulatory oversight, as authorized by the Energy Resource Activities Act (ERAA). To prepare for this, the BCER is developing the regulations needed to support this expanded role.
The BCER takes a systematic approach to regulatory development, ensuring decisions are evidence-based and informed by First Nations, rights holders, and other interested parties.
Provincial legislation provides the BCER Board of Directors authority to make regulations regarding the management of a range of policy issues. Prior to Board approval of a regulatory proposal, there are several key steps with engagement touchpoints throughout the process. These include:
- Issue identification
- Statement of policy intentions (Initial Engagement)
- Identification of policy options
- Statement of proposed regulatory policy (Secondary Engagement)
- Drafting and approval of final regulation
The issue identification step involves outlining the core policy issues that are to be managed. For each issue identified, the BCER provides an “Intentions Statement” articulating high-level direction to manage the issue. The BCER engages on these “policy intentions” to validate the scope of the regulatory framework, hear from interested parties regarding priority issues, and explore initial options for the management of such issues.
Identification of policy options requires identifying specific approaches to manage each policy issue identified. Feedback from engagements is a critical input to this analysis, ensuring recommended options consider the needs and preferences of potentially impacted parties.
Once recommended options have been identified and documented, the BCER will provide additional engagement opportunities on the proposed regulatory policy. Following these engagements, the BCER will seek endorsement of the regulatory policy from the BCER Board of Directors before working with the Ministry of Attorney General to draft the final regulation. Once the final regulation is approved by the BCER Board of Directors, it will be brought into force and implemented through the introduction of new guidance and manuals, updates to application and oversight systems, and the development of policies and standard permit conditions for areas outside of the scope of the regulation.
Initial Engagement Phase: Engagement on policy intentions
The initial engagement phase is open until July 31, 2025. Please submit feedback to info@rep-spa.ca
The Renewables Framework: Policy Intention document below outlines key policy issues the BCER will consider within the regulatory framework for wind and solar projects. It contains a description of the issue under consideration, a statement of the BCER’s policy intention relating to it, and a set of potential options to illustrate the different ways in which the issue could potentially be managed.
Click the image below to open the document:
At this stage, we are seeking feedback regarding the potential impacts of wind and solar projects. We welcome and consider all feedback received as we develop a regulatory framework for wind and solar projects. The feedback received through engagement with First Nations, the public and industry is critical to the development of BCER regulations.
The initial engagement phase is open until July 31, 2025. Please submit feedback to info@rep-spa.ca
Additional Information
As part of the regulatory framework, the BCER is developing application guidance materials to support proponents of renewable energy projects in British Columbia. These materials will be closely aligned with the development of the BCER Board regulations and will help ensure clarity and consistency in application requirements throughout the regulatory development process.
When ready, draft guidance will be publicly available and will outline the information and documentation required for permit applications, including technical studies, environmental and cultural considerations, engineering specifications, and engagement expectations. It will also provide a detailed overview of BCER’s application review process; for example, how submissions will be evaluated for completeness and how regulatory requirements will be assessed. As part of the broader engagement on the development of the BCER Board regulations, BCER will be seeking input on the proposed elements of the guidance. This input will help ensure the final materials are practical, informative, and responsive to the needs of all participants.