Clean Power Call will supply renewable energy for more than 290,000 homes
VANCOUVER – BC Hydro has selected the final project to be awarded an electricity purchase agreement under the Clean Power Call, bringing the call to a close after acquiring close to 3,300 gigawatt hours per year of clean energy – enough to power more than 290,000 homes or the population of the entire Fraser Valley.
Box Canyon Hydro Corp. and Sound Energy Inc.’s run-of-river project [PDF, 27 Kb] near Port Mellon will generate 50 gigawatt hours of clean energy every year and is the 27th project to be selected for an electricity purchase agreement under the Clean Power Call.
"The Clean Power Call brings us closer to the Clean Energy Act commitment of making British Columbia electricity self-sufficient by 2016," said Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. "The 27 clean energy projects that have been selected will entail capital investments of more than $3.8 billion and create more than 3,800 person-years of employment."
The projects are located across the province near 17 different communities: Chetwynd, Gold Bridge, Golden, Harrison Hot Springs, McBride, Mission, Pemberton, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Port Mellon, Powell River, Sechelt, Squamish, Sparwood, Stewart, Terrace and Tumbler Ridge.
"These projects are proof that in British Columbia we have the resources and the ingenuity to power homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy sources – harnessing wind and water to meet the province's growing electricity demand in a way that is sustainable for generations," said David Cobb, Chief Executive Officer and President of BC Hydro.
Wind power projects account for more than 1,500 gigawatt hours per year of clean energy – almost half of the clean energy being acquired through the Clean Power Call. The remainder of the clean energy attained through the call will be from run-of-river projects, a redeveloped storage hydro project, and a waste heat project.
The Clean Power Call request for proposals was issued in June of 2008 and attracted considerable competitive interest from B.C.'s clean energy sector with 43 proponents submitting 68 proposals for more than 17,000 gigawatt hours per year of clean energy.
Details of the 27 Clean Power Call projects selected for the award of electricity purchase agreements are available online. You can also view a report on the Clean Power Call process [PDF, 1.2 MB], including the review of an independent observer.