The British Columbia government is giving $7.1 million to remote First Nation communities to help them steer away from diesel and toward alternative energy projects..The move is part of the province’s $29 million Community Energy Diesel Reduction program (CEDR), encompassed within the CleanBC initiative..BC Minister of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation Josie Osborne says the goal is to reduce diesel consumption for power generation in remote communities by 80% by 2030..“By building partnerships and creating opportunities with indigenous communities and businesses, we can help people living in BC’s hardest-to-reach communities save money, become less dependent on fossil fuels and benefit from cleaner air and water,” said Osborne..The first round of funding will go to 12 communities..Officials say the projects range in size and scope, from $350,000 for the construction of a biomass combined heat-and-power system for the Quesnel area’s Lhoozk'uz Dene Nation, to $2 million to develop and build a two-megawatt solar farm on Haida Gwaii's northern grid that will include battery storage..The province has 44 remote communities, mostly governed by First Nations..Many of BC’s remote communities are served by BC Hydro in non-grid integrated areas. Some First Nations own and operate their own diesel generators and the province highlights its remote communities consumed more than 19.1 million litres of diesel in 2019, which it says emitted the equivalent of 51,784 tonnes of carbon dioxide..Remote communities can apply to three funding streams to support them as they progress through various stages of planning and implementation of “decarbonization projects.”.“This will help to ensure remote communities have financial supports throughout the life cycle of their energy projects, whether it be at the beginning, early, mid or late stages of planning, or implementation of their decarbonization projects,” said the province, further noting a second round of CEDR program funding will be announced shortly..READ MORE: Former BC Liberal MLA warns of 'environmental elitism'
