Regulatory
Energy for your family today and into the future.
RDE is a privately owned, regulated utility overseen by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). This means that our business plan, projects, tariff and rates are reviewed and approved by the regulator, whose mandate is to ensure customers receive safe, reliable energy at fair prices.
The British Columbia Utilities Commission has established a Public Hearing process to consider RDE’s Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the construction of a new Community Energy Centre, and the continued expansion of RDE to provide space heat and hot water to all buildings in River District.
If you wish to actively participate in the hearing process, please see the instructions in Section 4 of Order G-234-22 which has established the hearing process and timeline.
RDE’s Application to the BCUC is available here.
River District Energy is proposing to connect to Metro Vancouver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility through a closed loop hot water system. The system would use the waste heat to displace almost all of River District’s need for natural gas to provide space heating and hot water.
The New System: What to Expect
In partnership with Metro Vancouver, we are proposing that they will install a heat-exchanger at their Waste-to-Energy Facility in Burnaby. The system will provide offsite heating by extracting the waste heat from the incineration of the region’s waste, and using it to heat water in a closed-loop piping system (i.e. the water in the pipe is always contained in the pipe and does not come in contact with anything outside the pipe).
Innovative Fuel Switch Project
Residents and businesses will play their part in tackling climate change.
The waste heat from Metro Vancouver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility will supplant almost all our need for natural gas. We are now planning to build a Community Energy Centre (CEC) which takes the waste heat from Metro Vancouver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility, supplanting almost all our need for natural gas, and replacing all the temporary energy centres.
Community Energy Centre
In keeping with the values of the community, the Community Energy Centre will be built from materials with low environmental impact. The Community Energy Centre, to be located at the intersection of East Sawmill Crescent and Marine Way, will house the equipment needed to receive heat from Metro Vancouver and Circulate it to River District.
Why Waste Heat-Recovery?
By harvesting the heat and putting it to use we are increasing the overall efficiency of our waste management system, and the use of heat that was previously being wasted will allow us to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90%.
For further details please read our Discussion Guide.
Review Process
The British Columbia Utilities Commission (the BCUC) regulates public utilities in BC according to the provision of the Utilities Commission Act. RDE is required, like all public utilities, to obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (a CPCN) before we start construction of the Community Energy Centre or expand the system beyond current approvals.
We are your neighbourhood Energy Provider.
