Hydro drops 21 clean power projects
Construction of headpond for Fitzsimmons Creek hydro project on Blackcomb Mountain, 2008. That project will soon be in service and BC Hydro is planning a large expansion of run-of-river and wind power around the province.
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Updated: November 18, 2009 4:35 PM
VICTORIA – The Upper Pitt River power project is among those dropped from consideration for a BC Hydro contract, as the utility whittles down its list of proposals for private power supply.
After sorting through 68 proposals and eliminating 21 of them, BC Hydro intends to start awarding long-term power contracts in December to hydro and wind energy projects. Those contracts will then be submitted to the B.C. Utilities Commission for approval.
Among those proceeding to the next phase of consideration are Plutonic Power's $4 billion, 17-river project on Bute Inlet near Powell River, Naikun Wind's huge offshore wind farm near Haida Gwaii, and dozens of smaller projects around the province. The Bute Inlet proposal has been compared in its scale to BC Hydro's long-considered Site C dam on the Peace River, although its highest output would take place during the spring and summer runoff period.
The Upper Pitt project in the Lower Mainland sparked large protests when it was proposed, and suffered a major setback in 2008 when Environment Minister Barry Penner refused to permit a power line to be built through Pinecone-Burke Provincial Park to connect to the electrical grid near Squamish.
Run-of-River Power Inc., the proponent of the Upper Pitt plan, still has a small project near Squamish being considered, but has since shifted its focus to two wood waste projects. One in the Tsilhqot'in territory near Williams Lake would harvest beetle-killed trees and another in Gitxsan territory in northwestern B.C. would burn low-grade pulpwood that hasn't been harvested since the demise of the Skeena Cellulose mill in the late 1990s. BC Hydro is conducting a separate power call for bioenergy projects.
Private hydro projects that continue to be considered include those by Cloudworks Energy Inc. near Mission, Castle Mountain Hydro Ltd. near McBride, C-Free Power Corp. proposals at Gold Bridge, Campbell River, Harrison Hot Springs and Mission, Syntaris Power Corp. near Terrace and Chilliwack, Kleana Power Corp. near Campbell River and Fosthall Creek Power near Nakusp.
Wind proposals include those by North Coast Wind Energy near Prince Rupert, Kwagis Power near Port McNeill, and Sea Breeze Energy near Port Hardy.
