BC Hydro announces Clean Power Call project near McBride
VANCOUVER – BC Hydro has selected a project in the McBride area to be awarded an electricity purchase agreement under the Clean Power Call.
Castle Mountain Hydro's Benjamin Creek run-of-river project will generate 27 gigawatt hours of clean, reliable electricity annually and provide additional benefits to the McBride area.
"The Clean Energy Act commits us to making British Columbia electricity self-sufficient by 2016 and this project is another step along that road," said Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
"Clean, made-in-B.C. power has been the backbone of our economy for generations, and projects like this and others in the Clean Power Call will ensure that for decades to come our homes and economy will be powered by clean electricity generated locally in communities across the province," Bennett said.
"Independent power projects like the Castle Mountain Hydro project will help to diversify the economy in the Robson Valley and create clean energy at the same time," said Shirley Bond, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and MLA for Prince George-Valemount. "In addition, this project will contribute to ongoing efforts to improve the quality of electrical service in the community."
"This brings to 26 the number of projects selected for electricity purchase agreements under the Clean Power Call," said David Cobb, Chief Executive Officer and President of BC Hydro. "All together, Clean Power Call projects will generate more than 3,200 gigawatt hours per year of clean electricity – enough to power more than 280,000 homes."
More than 3,770 person years of employment will be created during the construction of Clean Power Call projects, which represent over $3.7 billion in capital investment in British Columbia.
Contact:
Dag Sharman
Media Relations
Phone: 604 623 4022