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Wind Power News: British Columbia
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
PRRD shoots down wind development near Dawson Creek
Peace River Regional District directors have shot down a renewable energy company’s proposal to build a small wind farm north of Dawson Creek. At a meeting Jan. 26, the board nixed a proposal from Renewable Energy Systems Canada to construct a five-turbine wind power operation on 4.5 hectares of farmland off Sweetwater Road and 225 Road. The company requested a exemption for a non-farm use within the province’s Agricultural Land Reserve. However, without sign-off from the PRRD, the project is . . . Complete story »
Wind project on Mt. McDonald may be revived
Wind, a clean energy source, may become a hot commodity for industrial developments trying to meet government environmental conditions. At least, that is what the new owners of the Mt. McDonald Wind Energy Project are thinking. The wind project first came to light under Bridge Power, the original developer that identified the site in 2008 and built the four 80 metre MET masts, for acquiring wind data. The company began to develop the project and started to move through the . . . Complete story »
Sea Breeze proposes wind farm on Mount Hays
‘LNG Town’ it ain’t. With so many liquefied natural gas terminal proposals near Prince Rupert, it can be easy to label it as the next LNG capital of North America, but one Vancouver-based company is looking to change that with an alternative energy proposal of their own. A 48-megawatt (MW) wind farm, consisting of a maximum of 24 turbines has been proposed by Sea Breeze Power Corp. on Mount Hays. While not the first company to propose such a venture . . . Complete story »
Wind farms on Hutterite land approved; Two seven-turbine proposals in Tower Lake, Sunset Prairie
A pair of wind farms on Hutterite land north of Dawson Creek have a green light from the Peace River Regional District. On Aug. 11, regional district directors approved a rezoning application that will allow Renewable Energy Systems Canada to build turbines on two agricultural parcels owned by the South Peace Hutterian Brethren Church. The company has approval to build two wind farms of up to seven turbines each on the two properties, located in the Tower Lake and Sunset . . . Complete story »
Smyth: The Site C dam blows away major wind power project from B.C.
It was an exciting news story that jumped off front pages less than three years ago: a massive new wind farm to be built on Vancouver Island that would generate enough electricity to power 75,000 homes. The $750-million project was great news for taxpayers because it wouldn’t cost the public a penny. The TimberWest forest company was partnering with EDP Renewables, a Spanish-based global wind-energy giant, to build the 150-turbine wind farm on private land. The local T’Sou-ke First Nation . . . Complete story »
Two B.C. wind farm projects halted with huge Site C dam in wings
Publicly traded Northland Power has withdrawn two wind projects from B.C.’s environmental approval process, officially halting proposals that had been dormant for several years as the Site C hydroelectric dam puts a chill on renewable energy projects. The proposals – for Mount George Wind Park, a 300-megawatt wind farm 38 kilometres southeast of Prince George, and Mount Kathleen Wind Park, a 250-megawatt wind farm near Summerland – were officially withdrawn last week, following correspondence between B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office and . . . Complete story »
All of Tumbler Ridge to lose power twice this summer in planned outages
BC Hydro officials say the entire District of Tumbler Ridge – about 1,758 customers – will undergo two early morning blackouts this summer, June 5 and August 28. The planned power outages will allow work to be completed on the Sukunka Substation to connect the Meikle Wind Energy project to the grid. The $400 million wind tower project is about six-months away from commercial operation, BC Hydro said. On June 5, Tumbler Ridge’s power will be cut off for four hours, between . . . Complete story »
Power company walks on controversial Montney wind farm
An independent power company is walking away from a controversial wind project proposed in a rural area near Fort St. John, saying they failed to win the community’s support. While relatively small, Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Canada’s seven-turbine Montney Wind project encountered considerable pushback from rural residents since it was proposed last year. Patrick Henn, development manager with Renewable Energy Systems Canada, Inc., said his company made the decision to “pause” the project in early April. He said the project . . . Complete story »
Done with the wind: Canadian Wind Energy Association folds its tent in B.C. to focus on Alberta and Saskatchewan
“BC has the potential to be a clean-energy superpower.” So said B.C. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon in last week’s throne speech. But one organization that had hoped to play a role in realizing that goal – the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) – might have either missed that speech or simply not put much faith in it. CanWEA has folded its B.C. tent and set sail for Alberta and Saskatchewan. In a recent letter to its members, CanWEA’s Jean-François Nolet, vice-president . . . Complete story »
Canadian Wind Energy Association pulls out of B.C.
The country’s largest wind energy organization has announced it is pulling out of British Columbia to chase better opportunities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Jean-Francois Nolet, vice-president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), made the announcement in a letter to members of the association’s B.C. caucus Feb. 5, and obtained by the Alaska Highway News. “In the last few months we have seen significant new commitments to renewable energy in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but much work remains to be done . . . Complete story »
