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BC’s New Energy Plan
The BC Government in its New Energy Plan has committed to acquire most of its new power from private BC sources through a number of programs. The BC Government has stipulated that all new electricity generating facilities constructed in British Columbia will be required to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions. Another stipulation is ensuring clean or renewable electricity generation continues to account for at least 90 per cent of total generation. These generation sources include energy that is constantly renewed by natural processes, such as large and small hydroelectric, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, wood residue and energy from organic municipal waste.
On the 4 to 6 November the Independent Power Producers of British Columbia (IPPBC) met with BC Hydro, BC Transmission and BC Government officials to discuss independent power production and how it was going to be implemented.
BC Hydro is going to issue a call for proposals in the spring of 2008 to buy 5000 GWh of energy a year on a 20-40 year contract from IPPs. The plan is to go from our present situation of importing 2500 GWh (approx 12% of demand) to energy self sufficiency in 2016 and to have an insurance of 3000 GWh of surplus power by 2026.
This is very exciting news for wind power companies such as Nomis. There was also an announcement by BC Transmission company that it is exploring expanding the transmission capacity to areas where there will be clusters of producers such as the North Island. These actions will go a long way to making Vancouver Island self sufficient in power.