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VANCOUVER – BC Hydro released today the draft terms and conditions for its Clean Power Call and issued the revised terms and conditions for its Standing Offer Program to help ensure the province can meet its growing electricity needs with power from clean sources.

"For generations, clean electricity has powered B.C.'s economic prosperity and quality of life, but there is a growing gap between our electricity needs and our made-in-B.C. supply," said BC Hydro President and CEO Bob Elton. "The Clean Power Call and the Standing Offer Program will help ensure that we continue to meet the needs of our province in a sustainable way."

The Clean Power Call will target up to 5,000 gigawatt hours of energy per year – enough to power 500,000 households in B.C. – through a competitive process involving independent power producers across the province. The call will target clean energy from larger projects using proven technologies, such as hydro and wind among others.

The draft terms for the call, including eligibility requirements, the term sheet outlining the major terms and conditions, and the procurement process, were issued today. BC Hydro will now seek input into the development of the final terms from potential independent power producers, customers, other stakeholders and First Nations. BC Hydro will issue the Clean Power Call in the spring of 2008. Awarded Electricity Purchase Agreements will be filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission.

In addition today, BC Hydro released the revised terms and conditions for its Standing Offer Program. The Standing Offer Program targets clean electricity projects that generate up to 10 megawatts of power. The program offers a standard contract with set prices and a streamlined administrative process to give smaller scale projects the opportunity to contribute to B.C.'s supply of clean electricity.

Changes were made to the proposed design of the Standing Offer Program in response to feedback received from stakeholders earlier this year. The revised terms and conditions will form part of an application to be filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission for regulatory review.

To achieve a clean distinction under the Clean Power Call or Standing Offer Program, a power facility would have to meet the province's guidelines for clean energy. According to the BC Energy Plan, 90 per cent of all electricity generated in the province must continue to come from clean or renewable sources and all new electricity generation projects will have zero net greenhouse gas emissions.

Details about the Clean Power Call and Standing Offer Program, including how stakeholders can register for upcoming information sessions, are available at www.bchydro.com/cleanpowercall and www.bchydro.com/standingoffer respectively.

Contact:

Gillian Robinson Riddell

Media Relations

Phone: 604 623-4022

gillian.robinson@bchydro.com