British Columbia - the land of clean power opportunities
Lots of interesting things going on at the annual IPPBC conference which wrapped up on Tuesday. Here are some of my conference notes and observations (in no particular order):
- With its abundance of natural resources, proven track record of business innovation and geographic location, British Columbia is perfectly situated to be a world class leader in clean and green energy
- Energy policy is the big issue this decade in the Province, if not world-wide (as is climate change, and sustainable natural resource development)
- First Nations, by and large, support IPPs on sustainable development of natural resources which respect First Nations aboriginal rights and title
- Many First Nations are working in successful partnerships with IPPs. You can read more about the local media's coverage of First Nations and IPPs here
- IPP projects are typically situated in rural communities and provide lots of good construction and management jobs and other economic benefits
- It is a huge missed opportunity that BC Hydro does not have a mandate to purchase power for export (unlike some eastern provinces in Canada)
- If elected, the current official opposition party in BC, will present a significant challenge to independent power producers in British Columbia. The industry is working to dispel the myths about the development of independent power projects. Stay tuned for a public relations blitz. Good on IPPBC for taking this on.
- The complex world of permitting project in British Columbia will be better understood when the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands releases the IPP Guidebook (once released you will be able to find a copy of it here)
- Financing in the current market is a significant challenge for all developers
- The WREZ Project, currently in Phase 1, is another excellent example of regional and cross-border co-operation.
- The conclusion of the BC Climate Action Team, that "we must reduce carbon use with economic development" is at first glance a paradox, but if you think about it, it makes complete sense. Check out the BC Climate Action Plan
- The Bioenergy Call is oversubscribed (BC Hydro wants 1,000 gwh; it received proposals for approximately 4,100 gwh) Lots of great bioenergy resources in British Columbia, so we should expect more calls of a similar nature.
- Biogas in BC is going to waste (tremendous business opportunity here)
- In 10 years of providing $10M in loans to First Nations enterprises EcoTrust Canada Capital has never had a loan defaulted on
- The CEO of Enmax is a true leader in a sustainable energy future. Coming soon to the City of Calgary: residential solar. Awesome!
- Coal + carbon sequestration is approximately 16% energy efficient; Solar is 17%. Go figure.
- The BC Clean Tech Capital Budget is an an excellent resource to access capital for renewable energy companies
- The future of electric cars is now, and plugging in at night in may have multiple benefits
- Battery storage of energy generated by wind is possible. Great local innovation.
- There is tremendous potential for ocean energy in British Columbia. If you're interested, check out the Ocean Renewable Energy Group
- Syntaris Power Corp. makes a delicious smoothie!
