This initiative is a collaboration between First Nations Leadership Council, BC First Nations Energy and Mining Council and Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
Indigenous Clean Energy Opportunities
Through the ICEO process, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and the First Nations Energy and Mining Council seek to engage First Nations rights holders and organizations in a collaborative dialogue to position First Nations to fully participate in current and future opportunities in British Columbia’s clean energy sector and align the Province’s strategic clean energy policy and legislation with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
ICEO News
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The ICEO hosted a two-day virtual energy workshop discussing the hydrogen and electricity sectors, featuring sessions on BC’s changing electricity landscape, BC Hydro’s UNDRIP implementation, and promising hydrogen market opportunities.
A two-day workshop of information sharing, discussion, and exploring opportunities in the electricity and hydrogen sectors for Indigenous communities in B.C.
In June 2023, the ICEO hosted a workshop on the hydrogen and electricity sectors. Our two-day virtual energy workshop explored B.C.’s changing electricity sector, B.C. Hydro’s UNDRIP implementation and hydrogen market opportunities.
We visualized our clean energy aspirations for British Columbia with the help of an Indigenous graphic facilitator who creatively captured our discussions.
Resources from the event can be found on our resources page.Agenda
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A Hydrogen Energy Workshop was held virtually to explore hydrogen energy and opportunities for Indigenous communities across B.C. Read the Recording of Proceedings from the workshop and check out the video recording.
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Implementation activities Currently planning implementation of ICEO activities under three “tables” as jointly endorsed over the summer by the First Nations Leadership Council and the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. The three tables are the Electricity Table, the Hydrogen Market Opportunities Table and the Legislative Standing Table.
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The March 1st and March 3rd Workshops were held. Thank you to all the participants!
To see the slides on the ICEO overview and process, including anticipated next steps, that were presented at the workshops, click here.
Agenda from the two workshops are available:
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Pre-read materials for before the March 1st and March 3rd, 2022 Regional Workshops:
Agenda for March 1st / Agenda for March 3rd
- Draft Terms of Reference for the ICEO engagement (see pages 5 to 7 for preliminary list of topics for ICEO engagement)
- Information for Consideration Prior to the March Workshops
- Proposed Policy, Program and Legislative and/or Regulatory Initiatives For Discussion
- First Nations Energy and Mining Council – “Interest Paper: Comprehensive Review of BC Hydro, Phase 3 – Summary of Review and Recommendations, June 27, 2021”
- Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation – “What We Heard“
What people are saying
“This engagement brings us together in the spirit of reconciliation with this tremendous opportunity to shift to a clean energy future that addresses the challenges of climate change.”
– Bruce Ralston, B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
“First Nations are already leaders in demonstrating how clean energy must be one of the tools that moves us towards economic reconciliation with the Province of B.C. while reducing our carbon emissions and responding to the climate crisis. We expect this new initiative will fully support energy sovereignty for our communities and ensure that any clean energy development project recognizes and affirms our inherent and constitutionally protected Title, Rights and Treaty Rights, including the rights of sovereignty and jurisdiction.”
– Regional Chief Terry Teegee, B.C. Assembly of First Nations
“Our communities have been leading the charge in advocating for more sustainable clean energy sources that would assist in addressing the climate crisis. First Nation-owned clean energy utilities have an opportunity to be at the forefront of this sector and the ICEO process will be a critical component in helping to chart the pathway.”
– Robert Phillips, First Nations Summit, Political Executive