by Miriam Trevis
The Record
Oct. 8, 2003
The recent announcement by BC Hydro of its largest purchase of green energy in BC's history will be an economic shot-in-the-arm for the communities of Zeballos and Gold River.
Approved under Hydro's 2002/2003 Green Power General Call is a 21.85 MW power project for Zeballos Lake together with a 3.1 MW project at Cypress Creek and a 35 MW installation at Ucona River.
The Zeballos Lake Hydro Project will be operated by the Pacific Rim Power Corporation while the Cypress Creek project will be owned by Synex Energy Resources Ltd., a company which is already working in the Gold River area at Meares Creek.
A partnership has been established to operate the Ucona River Hydro Project with one of the partners being Summit Power Corporation.
Proponents of the Ucona River project have already met with Gold River council and have indicated that its penstock at this location will be a 12 foot wide tunnel, 5 1/2 km long. The penstock is used to channel the water for the project.
Gold River Mayor David Lewis told The Record that the Village of Gold River is currently working on a five-year plan to optimize the benefits the community can realise from these small power schemes.
"We are looking at annexing some of these areas into the municipality," he explained. "That way Gold River gets its share of the benefit of the taxes paid which otherwise would all go to the Comox-Strathcona Regional District."
All of the sixteen Independent Power Producers whose presentations met the criteria laid down by BC Hydro will be offered 10-20 year contracts.
It is anticipated that the electricity purchase agreements will be signed by mid-November with all projects operational by September 30, 2006.
In other Gold River news, Mayor Lewis stated that he has been very impressed by the efforts of Green Island Energy to assist new businesses to locate at the former Bowater mill site.
"They are making it as easy as possible," he noted. "I am pleased with the progress they are making."
Following his attendance at his first Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention, Lewis stated that he feels the networking with Ministers which occurs at these meetings is important, but that he was surprised at the amount of expense some municipalities incur. "There were communities there where the entire council and several of its staff were present," he stated. "They were boasting that they got $450 a night rooms for only $180. I couldn't believe how much money was being spent." (It should be noted that Mayor Lewis and Administrator Larry Plourde shared a $90 a night room during the convention.)
Mayor Lewis stated that the Village of Gold River is still actively pursuing the acquisition of land suitable for industrial use.
He reiterated his
support for the work done on behalf of the community by the Administrator,
"I don't think people realize just how lucky we are to have him"
he noted.
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