Martini Film Studios receives BC Hydro Sustainability Award

BC Hydro is supporting the electrification of the motion picture industry and has been helping communities in British Columbia, from Maple Ridge to the City of Vancouver, to introduce clean power kiosks in 20 locations planned across the Lower Mainland.

One studio setting the gold standard when it comes to sustainability on-set is Langley’s Martini Film Studios lead by CEO and Reel Green™ partner Gemma Martini. For it’s commitment to sustainability, BC Hydro awarded Martini Studios a Clean Energy Champion sustainability award. BC Hydro awards the Clean Energy Champion to B.C. residents, businesses, municipalities, or Indigenous and community groups that have taken steps to lower their carbon footprint and adopt new clean energy technologies

Martini Town

Powering film sets with diesel generators is the norm worldwide. While they are portable and flexible when it comes to power output, the average big budget film produces 2,840 tonnes of carbon dioxide. As part of the CleanBC strategy, and with support from institutions like BC Hydro, FortisBC’s RNG conversions, and Reel Green™ British Columbia’s film industry is making changes to become the greenest in North America.

Until recently, Martini Film Studios relied on four diesel generators emitting up to one tonne of carbon each per day to power production’s fleet of trailers, lighting, and sets. Earlier this year, all Martini Film Studios properties became diesel generator-free zones after CleanBC and BC Hydro’s Low Carbon Electrification Program provided $280,000 in funding for energy-efficient upgrades.

These electrification incentives for industry  provide resources, funding, and incentives to help industrial customers switch all or part of their operations to clean hydroelectricity instead of fossils fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Martini Town

Martini Studios’ ‘Martini Town’ is a 16-acre backlot set up which includes buildings designed with a New York theme, a movie theatre, a coffee shop, small town, city hall and diner. Martini Town has hosted more than 30 productions for both television series and feature films since it was built in 2021. The ‘Martini Town’ backlot set competitively positions B.C.’s film industry to offer urban-appearing infrastructure with the ease and support of a studio backing it.

“We are proud Martini Town is fully energized using clean power” says Martini.

Find out how you can switch to clean energy with supportive programs from BC Hydro, and take action with the Reel Green™ Clean Energy Toolkit.