Business Costs
Cost Savings, Higher Return on Investment
The cost of doing business in British Columbia can be much lower than in the United States. Labour, power and facility costs are generally lower, and so are corporate income tax rates.
Compared with the West Coast of the United States, total annual operating cost savings of up to 20 per cent can be achieved in industries like content development, biotechnology R&D, electronics design and manufacturing, and qualified international business activities.
Your energy future is secure here:
- Reliable, renewable and low-cost hydroelectric power supplies almost 90 per cent of British Columbia’s electricity needs (the balance is mainly natural-gas-fired power).
- A robust transmission and distribution system delivers uninterrupted power to all regions of the province. The BC Hydro system has an Average System Availability Index of 99.935 per cent (including major events).
- British Columbia is also rich in natural gas (we are Canada’s second largest producer), oil, coal-bed methane and coal.
- The province’s Energy Plan is promoting development of alternative power sources – such as wind, biomass and "run of the river" hydroelectric generation – as well as conventional sources.