On August 6, 2009 the first wind farm in B.C. Started sending electricity into the grid. The 102 megawatt Bear Mountain project will provide enough electricity for about 38,000 homes. A second wind project, The Dokie wind farm project being developed about 45 kilometers northwest of Chetwynd was stalled due to financial difficulties with the project founder, Earth First. These were solved with the purchase of the project by a partnership of G.E. Financial Services and Plutonic Power Corp. The project is now expected to be completed in 2011 and this will bring the provinces total installed wind capacity up to 246 MW.
Overall, Canada had a total of 3,319 MW installed wind power at the end of 2009 after adding 950 MW in 2009. This means that B.C. has only 3% of the country's total. Why are there not more projects being developed here in the province when we have some of the best potential wind development areas in the world? Despite the provincial governments much touted goal of supporting renewable energy, wind projects are lagging and it seems as if B.C. Hydro prefers hydro related projects such as the just announced restarting of the controversial 900 MW Site C Peace River hydro dam that will flood thousands of acres including some of the best farmland in the province. B.C. Hydro and their unions even seem opposed to small privately funded run of the river hydro projects, which do not flood land and have a minimal effect on the environment. The province has thousands of rivers and streams and only a few are being developed for run of river hydro.
B.C. no longer has the ability to be self sufficient in electrical production and has had to import power for 8 of the last 9 years, this power comes from dirty coal and natural gas plants in Alberta or Washington, something B.C. Hydro is loath to admit. They do admit though, that over the next 20 years we will need as much as 45% more electrical generating capacity to meet demand, even with conservation measures.
What will be the greenest most cost effective method to meet that demand and also create the most employment and subsequent tax revenue? Wind power is proving to be the best solution. Global wind capacity increased by 31% in 2009, a total increase of 37,500 MW. China led the world in new installed capacity in 2009 passing the United States which still added 9,900 MW to their total.
Perhaps it is time to end B.C. Hydro's monopoly on power distribution and selection of power providers as their selection process seams flawed and biased. The recent announcement by the provincial government to restart the contentious and costly, $6.6 billion and rising, Site C Peace River dam project shows they may be out of touch with current technology and not making the best decisions for the future needs of the province or the taxpayers and all who pay electricity bills.
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