March 16, 2010

BC Hydro awards purchase agreements for 19 clean wind, run-of-river energy projects

VANCOUVER

BC Hydro has awarded the first batch of electricity-purchase agreements in its contentious, government-driven clean-power program. The 19 wind and run-of-river projects will generate 2,400 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power 218,000 homes.

B.C. Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom said the projects will help the government’s goal of becoming energy self-sufficient using clean, renewable energy by 2016.

The 19 projects by a handful of companies include 14 run-of-river operations, where water is diverted through turbines to generate electricity, and five wind-turbine projects.

Lekstrom said all told, the projects involve $3 billion in capital investment and generate 3,000 person-years of employment during construction.

Another 28 projects remain in its Clean Power Call and the utility expects to select more later this month.

In all, Hydro initially received 68 proposals from 43 bidders representing more than 17,000 gigawatt hours per year of electricity.

The winners in this phase include Finavera Renewables Inc., CP Renewable Energy Limited Partnership (formerly EPCOR), Cloudworks Energy Inc., Creek Power Inc., Plutonic Power Corp., Selkirk Power Co., Swift Power Corp., NI Hydro Holding Corp., C-Free Power Corp. and Kwagis Power Limited Partnership.

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