B.C. climate news: Scientists link grey whale deaths in B.C., U.S to warming ocean | Increased water storage, added filtration among Metro Vancouver plans to combat climate risks | Cheap batteries take over world's power grids

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Last month, for the first time in Heppner’s career, his dealership sold more EVs than non-EVs, he said.

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Heppner said disclosing the number would tip competitive information, but noted that Preston is one of the region’s larger dealerships and EVs have become “a very material portion of our business nowadays.”

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“Nobody wants to pay for gas,” Heppner said. “It’s interesting. It doesn’t matter how expensive the vehicle is that we sell, and we have some that are way up there nowadays, but nobody wants to pay for gas.”

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The rebound in zero-emission vehicle sales, both EVs and plug-in hybrids, is being experienced by B.C. dealerships across the province as consumers struggle with high gas prices and react to the reinstatement of federal rebates, according to the New Car Dealers Association.

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—Derrick Penner

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File photo of a wildfire near Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island.  Photo: AFP via Getty. Photo by COLBY REX O'NEILL /AFP via Getty Images

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More than half of B.C. residents don’t have an emergency plan in case of wildfire, according to a new survey.

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The survey, conducted by Angus Reid for B.C. Hydro, found 61 per cent of B.C. adults polled admitted they haven’t created an emergency plan for their household, and 56 per cent don’t have an emergency kit.

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In a statement Friday, B.C. Hydro said a lack of planning is likely why nearly one‑third say they don’t feel prepared to be without power during a wildfire lasting a full day or more.

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The survey also suggests a lack of awareness when it comes to wildfire risk, with 42 per cent of respondents saying they don’t know, or are unsure, whether their area faces elevated wildfire risk.

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This rises to 48 per cent in the Lower Mainland, the survey suggests. With an El  Niño expected to bring hotter and drier conditions this year, B.C. Hydro is encouraging customers to take steps now to prepare for a potentially longer and more challenging wildfire season.

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—Tiffany Crawford

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Around the world, a wave of mega installations of batteries are lining up to be connected to the grid this year — from solar hubs in Texas to grasslands in Inner Mongolia and the site of a former coal plant north of Sydney.

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Falling costs and soaring energy demand from data centres had already set the stage for rapid growth. The war in the Middle East has helped accelerate the trend by lifting demand for alternatives to expensive fossil fuels, setting 2026 up to be the year batteries become influential in the global energy system. BloombergNEF analysts had already expected installations to jump by about a third this year, led by expansion in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. That momentum could build further if fuel disruptions persist.

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Signs of the ramp up are already emerging. A Chinese battery manufacturer has forecast a sharp rise in first quarter profit as global demand picks up. In Vietnam, a developer is seeking approval to replace a planned LNG-to-power project with renewables paired with storage, citing the surge in fuel costs linked to the war.

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In markets flooded with solar and wind — technologies that have been built out significantly since the last energy crisis in 2022 — battery operators can buy electricity when it’s cheap and sell it when demand peaks. Where grids once relied on coal and gas when renewable output dipped, storage technology is now becoming cheap and fast enough to make a difference in how the grid functions. Average costs have dropped by around 75 per cent from 2018 to 2025, according to BNEF, and are expected to tumble another 25 per ent through 2035.

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—Bloomberg News

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China’s new solar installations slowed sharply to hit a four-year low for the month of March, underscoring mounting pressure across the struggling sector.