Province Approves Wind Farm Near Tumbler Ridge
By 250 News
Thursday, December 10, 2009 03:43 PM
Victoria – The Province announced today that Thunder Mountain Wind Limited Partnership
has received an environmental assessment (EA) certificate for its ThunderMountain Wind Project.
The proposed project will produce up to 320 megawatts of electricity and
could produce enough electricity annually for approximately 100,000 homes.
The project is located approximately 45 kilometres southeast of Tumbler
Ridge and consists of approximately 160 wind turbine generators, five
substations, a 65-kilometre transmission line, access and maintenance
roads, and associated infrastructure.
The project is consistent with the BC Energy Plan and government's
commitment to reduce BC Hydro's reliance on imported electricity while
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The EAO assessment report concluded the project is not likely to have
significant adverse effects, based on the mitigation measures and
commitments made by the proponent included as conditions of the EA
certificate.
The provincial EA certificate contains 51 conditions the proponent must
implement throughout various stages of the project. Key commitments include
the following:
* A bird and bat monitoring program to mitigate adverse impacts associated
with turbine strikes and habitat disruption.
* Pre-construction surveys by wildlife professionals to protect terrestrial
wildlife such as woodland caribou.
* Ongoing consultation with First Nations to avoid or mitigate impact on
traditional-use sites.
* Work with the Integrated Land Management Bureau to minimize the extent of
transmission line overlap with the approved Old Growth Management Area.
The federal government has not yet determined if the project triggers the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
Before the project can proceed, the proponent will need to obtain the
necessary provincial licences, leases and other approvals.
B.C. Treaty 8 First Nations were consulted on the assessment, and the
Province is satisfied the Crown's duties to consult and accommodate First
Nations interests have been discharged as they relate to the decision to
grant the EA certificate.
The capital cost of the project is expected to be approximately $1 billion.
The proponent projects that over a 40-year lifespan, approximately $800
million in provincial and local government revenue will be generated,
including property taxes, land transfer and tenure taxes, permit fees, and
corporate taxes and levies. The six-year construction phase is expected to
generate an average of 120 jobs per year of direct, full-time employment.
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Posted by: rufus1 on December 10 2009 5:10 PM
Why do they keep lying to us that we need this power so that we do not have to import electricity. The fact is that they are developing this power to export to the USA and it makes a lot of money for the developer.
If we dont wake up the end result will be that BC Hydro will no longer be profitable and money they have provided over the years for government will dry up. All that will be left for US is the high priced power that being paid to all these wonderfull develoments like wind power and run of the river projects.
BC Hydro at the present time is producing power with water at about .55 cents per megawatt. The private power developers will get $1.50 and up per megawat.
Cheers