April 13 2023 –
Today, the City of Vancouver, project partners from the Vancouver Economic Commission, and representatives of the local film industry unveiled the City’s newest clean energy kiosks, designed to deliver renewable, hydro-powered energy to film sets and productions. Located in Northeast False Creek, the three kiosks will service one of the most heavily used areas for film parking where over 200 generators are used annually.
The clean energy kiosk grows the existing network of City infrastructure that aims to replace diesel generators and significantly reduce emissions from filming in Vancouver.
“As a world leader in sustainability and film and television production, it only makes sense for Vancouver to drive solutions that help productions use clean energy to lower their environmental impact,” says Mayor Ken Sim. “B.C.’s $4 billion film industry is one of our greatest economic assets, and productions right across our city will be cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable with the clean energy kiosk network.”
The City is taking steps to create a city-wide network of clean energy kiosks that allow film sets to plug in to Vancouver’s electrical power grid at popular filming locations.
“The City is committed to supporting the local film industry’s efforts to make filming in Vancouver more sustainable, and by 2030, our goal is to have a clean energy kiosk available in close proximity to most major filming locations. With the installation of clean energy kiosks in high-demand urban film locations across Vancouver, we are on target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, compared to traditional generator use, by up to 33 per cent over the next seven years,” says Margaret Wittgens, the City’s Deputy General Manager, Strategy and Planning of Engineering Services. “In addition, neighbourhoods that see a lot of film activity will benefit from a substantial reduction in noise.”
“We’re very enthused about the City’s global leadership on clean energy policy and infrastructure investments in response to the climate emergency,” says Geoff Teoli, Vancouver Film Commissioner at the Vancouver Economic Commission. “This is critically important to the health of our planet and our communities as well as a strategic advantage in attracting employers and projects that share our values.
In 2019, Vancouver City Council passed a motion to eliminate the use of generators for filming and food trucks in Vancouver, as these generators are a source of greenhouse gases.
The City’s Public Realm Electrification Program helps achieve the goals of the Climate Emergency Response by expanding the public charging network for needs such as film and food trucks. It’s a coordinated strategy to increase electric plug-in options across Vancouver’s public realm for a wide-variety of uses, including the film industry, food trucks, special events, shared electric micromobility (e-bikes and e-scooters), and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.