Wind power could be the central plank of a new provincial plan to make B.C. energy self-sufficient by 2016. But critics cited environmental and land-use concerns during a forum at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention today.
Paul Choudhury, a manager with the BC Transmission Corporation, told around two dozen forum participants that the province's power needs will likely rise by as much as 1.7 per cent each year over the coming decades.
The forecast is due in part to population growth in the Lower Mainland and potential oil and gas development in the northeast BC, he said.
As a result, the province is urging BC Hydro to become less dependent on energy suppliers from the U.S. and Alberta.
"BC Hydro has been a net importer of energy for the last five to six years," said Choudhury. "The government wants to take us back the point where we'll be self-sufficient."
To get there, BCTC and BC Hydro are eyeing wind-power expansion in the Peace River District and northern Vancouver Island.
Both sites have pros and cons.
"Wind profiles in the Peace region are fantastic," said Choudhury, adding that two wind plants should be generating power there in the next year. "They're among the best in the world." But he conceded that any new energy would have travel nearly 1,000 kilometres to major consumption centres around Vancouver and Victoria.
Vancouver Island is much closer to the demand, but lacks important infrastructure such as high voltage transmission lines, which could result in higher costs, said Choudhury.
Tim Caton, a Director in the Peace River Regional District said he was concerned future development in his area could destroy natural habitats and harm bird and caribou populations.
"Every wind farm requires a road to it, every wind farm requires a power line," he said. "That will have a major impact."
Peter Ronald, a coordinator with the BC Sustainable Energy Association said there are no provincial plans to hold multi-party land-use meetings to discuss how development will affect industries such as tourism and farming.
"We need a more fulsome conversation that brings everyone to the table," he said.
Choudhury said the public will have a chance to express their concerns at an open inquiry on B.C.'s energy future to be held next spring.
Geoff Dembicki is a staff reporter for The Hook.
Is Wind Green?
While wind power seems to be a positive answer to energy needs one shouldn't loose sight of the downside of these large industrial infastructures.
It's easy to to picture the late 1960's of quaint local wind power generators along with geodesic globes and becoming in tune with nature. The reality is that these 'wind farms' are large industrial structures. In some of the proposed areas of installation it will result in the destruction of natural ecosystems as ground cover and soil is stripped away to bedrock.
Having had the opportunity to observe up close some of these structures in Europe I am left with less than positive feelings about them.
This is not to say they won't have their place, but care needs to be applied before we rush headlong into setting up wind power turbines all over the province.
I too have seen the giant
I too have seen the giant wind mills in Denmark and thought that they weren't as damaging as hydro dams and the huge resevoirs behind them. In reality in the whole scheme of the infrastructure for generating electricity, we should have a good mix of tidal, wave, solar, and wind with hydro as the back up. When the tide is slack, the waves are calm, too dark for solar, and the wind is still, then hydro will pick up the void. Think of this; Every roof in BC to have solar panels which would generate enough power for that building and if a surplus is generated then it would be transmitted back into the grid. When it's dark out, then that building would receive power from the grid. Hmmm, now that we have solar panels on the roof, lets put on heating panels too, to heat the building.
a scam
While windpower is an excellent alternative to fossil fuels, anything out of the greedy maw of our neocon friends in Victoria is designed to put a thick green cloak, over a massive and lucrative giveaway of taxpayer's money to Campbell's big campaign donors in the private power industry.