District of Hope Office of the Mayor - Letter of Support for Proposed Renewable Natural Gas Program

Office of the Mayor

July 10, 2023

FortisBC Energy Inc. 16705 Fraser Highway Surrey, BC V4N 0E8

RE: District of Hope Letter of Support for Proposed Renewable Natural Gas Program

Dear FortisBC,

The District of Hope, located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the Eastern end of the Fraser Valley, is home to over 6,600 residents. With its natural amenities and scenic beauty, the District strives to be a vibrant, healthy, and active community based on socially and environmentally responsible economic development. As such, it is necessary to consider and mitigate all impacts on the environment from our decisions.

FortisBC's application for permanent renewable natural gas for new premises helps builders and residential customers who require new connections to meet building low energy standards through the use of renewable natural gas (RNG). This would result in significant emission reductions compared to conventional natural gas and would meet stringent greenhouse gas building reduction targets.

The District of Hope's power grid currently operates close to capacity, and we actively work with BC Hydro to lower usage in homes and businesses through incentives. By providing a carbon-neutral renewable energy source, through the addition of RNG, the District will be able to continue making progress towards lowering our footprint.

The District of Hope supports the proposed FortisBC application and the permanence of RNG in new construction buildings. We believe that FortisBC's application is aligned with the District's vision and supports economic opportunities in the low carbon industry. Having RNG permanence in new homes will provide tremendous benefits to help the District of Hope achieve its vision of becoming an environmentally responsible and sustainable community.

Sincerely,

Mayor Victor Smith