August 25, 2010
British Columbia

Forest company to explore wind power potential; TimberWest applies for permit

By Pirjo Raits - Sooke News Mirror, www.bclocalnews.com 24 August 2010

Wind energy is considered to be the world’s cleanest energy source, it’s renewable, produces no greenhouse gases or waste products, requires no drilling, mining or refining.

With these facts in mind, TimberWest Forest Corp. is looking to acquire a Temporary Industrial Permit to permit the installation of three 60m meteorological towers in the Rural Resource Lands in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.

The company wants to explore the potential for power generation with wind energy.

“These are at the pre-feasibility stage,” said Ken Kaps director of alternative resources for TimberWest.

TimberWest is looking to see if there is sufficient wind to carry on with plans to build the towers. The study would last 365 days.

He said all they were asking for at this point was a variance to exceed the maximum height for non-residential buildings. The towers would be 60m and the bylaw states the height maximum is 6m.

The properties where the three towers would be located are just south of Bear Creek and Diversion reservoirs; north of Diversion Reservoir and the third on the border of the Cowichan Valley Regional District just east of Maid Lake.

The main concern of the JdF Land Use Committee is the safety of the towers in regard to small aircraft and the continued access to private logging roads, said committee member and private citizen Heather Phillips.

“As a member of the community I’m interested in the roads staying open for public use,” said Phillips.

She said many locks had been cut in attempts to gain access to the private logging roads in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.

There will be an opportunity for public input further along in the process.

The land use committee recommended to the Capital Regional District Board that public notification and referrals go out to various agencies.

Seeking energy from the wind is not a new idea in the area. Currently Aeolis Wind has a wind park site on Crown land in the Jordan River area, as well as many sites in Northeastern B.C.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/08/25/forest-company-to-explore-wind-power-potential-timberwest-applies-for-permit/