Press Release

VANCOUVER – BC Hydro launched its Standing Offer Program today to help ensure the province can meet its growing electricity needs with power from clean or renewable sources. 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.

Specifically, the Standing Offer Program targets projects that generate up to 10 megawatts of power. A 10 megawatt project typically provides about 40 GWh per year of energy or enough electricity to power 4,000 households.

"The Standing Offer Program will help the province achieve two important goals of the BC Energy Plan – becoming electricity self-sufficient by 2016 and generating 90 per cent of electricity in the province from clean or renewable sources," said Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

To be eligible for the Standing Offer Program, projects must generate clean or renewable energy or involve high-efficiency cogeneration. Projects must be located in B.C. and use proven technologies.

"This program will help us meet our future energy challenges by developing innovative, sustainable solutions that will help B.C. maintain its natural, competitive advantage of having a clean and renewable energy supply for generations," said BC Hydro President and CEO Bob Elton.

Feedback received through extensive stakeholder engagement influenced the design of the Standing Offer Program, resulting in revisions to the draft program rules and contract. These revised terms and conditions were part of the program application filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for regulatory review. The BCUC approved the program in March 2008.

Developers interested in applying to the Standing Offer Program are encouraged to review the Program Rules, Electricity Purchase Agreement and other documents, and to attend an upcoming information session.