The renewable energy industry is developing quickly in British Columbia, a province located on Canada’s Pacific coast. BC Hydro, the province’s energy supplier, launched it’s Clean Power Call in 2008 and in 2010, began awarding energy purchase agreements (EPAs) to green energy companies.
Under the Clean Power Call, wind power will account for approximately 1528 GWh/year of green energy for British Columbia.
Six Wind Power Projects Awarded EPAs in BC Hydro’s Clean Power Call
March 11, 2010 - BC Hydro awards the first round of Clean Power Call energy purchase agreements. Five of the 19 approved projects were wind power projects.
- CP Renewable Energy (B.C.) Limited Partnership 434 GWh/year Tumbler Ridge
- Finavera Renewables Inc. 142 GWh/year Tumbler Ridge
- Finavera Renewables Inc. 327 GWh/year Tumbler Ridge
- Finavera Renewables Inc. 140 GWh/year Tumbler Ridge
- Finavera Renewables Inc. 204 GWh/year Chetwynd
March 31, 2010 - Four projects were approved for energy purchase agreements (EPAs) under BC Hydro’s Clean Power Call - one of these was a wind power project.
- Sea Breeze Energy Inc.’s Knob Hill project in Port Hardy is slated to generate 281 GWh/year of green energy in the form of clean, renewable wind power.
In addition to these six wind power projects, BC Hydro’s Clean Power Call awarded energy purchase agreements (EPAs) to 16 hydroelectric projects and one waste heat project.
Finavera Renewables - Supplying Green Energy to BC through Wind Power
As the big wind power winner under BC Hydro’s Clean Power Call, Finavera Renewables received four energy purchase agreements (EPAs) and will be generating approximately 813 GWh/year of green energy for BC.
Finavera Renewables is also active in Ireland’s green energy industry. As part of the Irish government’s Renewables Directive, Finavera Renewables is currently developing two major wind power projects to harness an estimated 175 MW of renewable energy.
Benefits of Green Energy via Wind Power in BC
- Wind energy generates no toxic byproducts
- One of the cheapest methods of green energy generation
- Wind turbines can generate green energy in remote locations
- Power generated from wind turbines is renewable and consumes no resources
- Low space requirements - surrounding land can be used for agriculture
Drawbacks of Green Energy via Wind Power in BC
- Wind can be unreliable as an energy source and cannot be stored without batteries
- High initial set up costs
- Wind turbines are visually unappealing to many
- Noise from wind turbines may disturb surrounding wildlife and human populations
NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. - No Clean Power Call EPA
Until recently, NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. was a high-profile player in BC’s green energy industry. Their goal was to generate 396 MW of offshore wind power through turbines located in the Haida Energy Field in the Hecate Strait, which is located off the northwest coast of British Columbia. However, NaiKun Wind was not awarded an EPA in the BC Hydro Clean Power Call.
In a NaiKun Wind news release, President and CEO Paul Taylor stated, “Our project is at an advanced stage of development including areas such as First Nations partnerships, environmental approvals, project planning, equipment resourcing and wind resource evaluation. Working with ENMAX, First Nations and key suppliers such as Siemens Canada, we look forward to discussing with BC Hydro and the Provincial Government how the 396MW project and the Haida Energy Field will fit into the province’s clean energy strategy and electricity procurement plans.”
Sources:
ScienceDaily “Use Of Wind Energy In US Growing, But Planning And Guidelines Are Lacking”
U.S. Department of Energy “Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy”
Clean Energy Ideas “Advantages & Disadvantages of Wind Energy”
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