More wind turbines could be coming to the Pennask Mountain area; K2 Project will be exempt from environmental assessment
Credit: Nicholas Johansen - Dec 27, 2024 - castanet.net ~~
More wind turbines could be coming to Pennask Mountain in the coming years, after BC Hydro signed a 30-year power purchase agreement for several proposed wind farm projects earlier this month.
The BC government announced in early December that it had selected nine proposed wind energy projects following its earlier call for power-generation projects. One of the selected projects is the K2 Wind Power project which is proposed to be built on Westbank First Nation land on Pennask Mountain.
The proposed K2 wind farm location in red. Photo: Innergex
Westbank First Nation and developer Innergex Renewable Energy say in a press release Friday that the proposed project will be able to power approximately 50,000 homes, with commercial operations expected to begin in 2031.
“Westbank First Nation is proud to have been awarded an Electricity Purchase Agreement alongside Innergex for the proposed K2 Wind Energy Project,” Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie said in the press release.
“This project demonstrates the power of collaboration and our dedication to leaving a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations. We look forward to engaging with our membership as we move toward finalizing this transformative opportunity.”
Chief Louie notes that despite the 30-year commitment from the province, the project’s future is still dependent on a Westbank First Nation membership referendum, as required by the nation’s constitution.
While Innergex has not said how many wind turbines are included in its plan, the proposed project appears to be much larger than the existing wind power projects that were built in the area in 2016. A total of 30 megawatts are generated from the five turbines near the Pennask Summit and the five turbines at Shinish Creek, while the proposed Innergex project is expected to generate 160 megawatts of power.
Innergex says the proposed K2 Wind Power project will create approximately 130 jobs during the development, construction, and operation phases.
One of the other nine wind projects the province also signed on with is the Boulder-Elkhard Wind project, which is also proposed to be built near the Okanagan Connector, west of the Pennask Summit. With construction on this project expected to begin in 2028, it’s expected to generate 94 megawatts of power.
The province said earlier this month that the nine projects, along with all future wind-power projects, will be exempt from the normal environmental assessment process, to ensure they’re “completed as efficiently as possible.”
Those interested in the K2 project can expect public open houses about the project in the “near future,” along with media outreach, project-specific communications and job fairs.
Westbank First Nation did not specify when their referendum on the project will take place.
Earlier this month, the province said the nine projects agreed to by BC Hydro will bring between $5 and $6 billion in private capital spending throughout the province. Electricity demand in B.C. is expected to increase by 15% or more between now and 2030, the province says.
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