The government of British Columbia has announced the creation of nine new wind projects across the province.Unlike other energy projects, however, they will be exempt from environmental assessment.According to Energy Minister Adrian Dix, BC Hydro has handed out 30-year electricity contracts to nine successful wind projects, which are expected to generate nearly 5,000 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to heat 500,000 homes. He added that it would provide an 8% power supply boost to the grid, the same as the Site C dam.Dix went on to explain that the projects will involve $5 to $6 billion in private capital, and create 2,000 jobs annually during construction. They will all have a minimum 25% equity First Nations ownership, though eight of the nine already have 51%."Recognizing the urgency and inherent environmental value of these projects," he said at a press conference, "we intend to exempt these wind projects and all future wind projects in BC from environmental assessment, while at the same time, and very importantly, ensuring that First Nations' interests and environmental mitigations are protected and maintained. This means that wind projects will be able to advance through development and construction more quickly and start delivering clean power to the grid sooner.".When pressed on whether the decision to exempt wind projects from environmental assessment amounted to preferential treatment over other energy projects, Premier David Eby said that was "not at all the case." He argued that because wind projects take up such a small footprint, they simply do not need the same level of oversight as, say, a mine..Eby also said he did not intend on entertaining the BC Conservatives' proposal for small-scale nuclear power, citing the fact that his party won the election and thus would do things their way.
The government of British Columbia has announced the creation of nine new wind projects across the province.Unlike other energy projects, however, they will be exempt from environmental assessment.According to Energy Minister Adrian Dix, BC Hydro has handed out 30-year electricity contracts to nine successful wind projects, which are expected to generate nearly 5,000 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to heat 500,000 homes. He added that it would provide an 8% power supply boost to the grid, the same as the Site C dam.Dix went on to explain that the projects will involve $5 to $6 billion in private capital, and create 2,000 jobs annually during construction. They will all have a minimum 25% equity First Nations ownership, though eight of the nine already have 51%."Recognizing the urgency and inherent environmental value of these projects," he said at a press conference, "we intend to exempt these wind projects and all future wind projects in BC from environmental assessment, while at the same time, and very importantly, ensuring that First Nations' interests and environmental mitigations are protected and maintained. This means that wind projects will be able to advance through development and construction more quickly and start delivering clean power to the grid sooner.".When pressed on whether the decision to exempt wind projects from environmental assessment amounted to preferential treatment over other energy projects, Premier David Eby said that was "not at all the case." He argued that because wind projects take up such a small footprint, they simply do not need the same level of oversight as, say, a mine..Eby also said he did not intend on entertaining the BC Conservatives' proposal for small-scale nuclear power, citing the fact that his party won the election and thus would do things their way.
