Syntaris Power

NEWS RELEASE
March 4, 2010

Vancouver, British Columbia— There was some good news for the renewable energy sector contained in the 2010 provincial budget delivered by British Columbia’s Finance Minister Colin Hansen in Victoria Tuesday afternoon.

Hansen announced the creation of a new 100 million dollar climate action and clean energy fund that is meant to encourage ongoing development of clean transportation choices and support future growth of alternative energy including biomass, run-of-river and other forms of clean power.

“We are pleased to see that the provincial government is continuing to keep its commitment to support growth in the green energy sector in British Columbia now and into the future,” says Syntaris Power Corp. President and CEO Robert Fraser. “This is another important step in ensuring that BC will remain attractive to those wanting to invest in renewable energy,” Fraser adds.

The new clean energy funds are expected to become available once the province’s Clean Energy Act is tabled. The new Clean Energy Act is meant to encourage new investments in independent power production while strengthening BC Hydro. It is expected to provide for fair, predictable, clean power calls and simplify procurement protocols and institute new measures to encourage investment and create jobs.

To view the complete text of Finance Minister Colin Hansen’s budget speech, link here

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Independent power producers seek parity with other Hydro customers, but critics argue move would negatively impact ratepayers

Independent power producers seek economic opportunities and benefits from government similar to those available for British Columbia industries such as forestry and mining, according to a document obtained by The Vancouver Sun.

Independents argue in a submission to the B.C. government’s Green Energy Task Force that the industry could quadruple in size by 2020, generating $29 billion in capital investment and creating up to 8,000 full-time permanent jobs.

That includes development of new power supplies for both domestic use and a hungry export market in the United States, according to the submission from the Independent Power Producers Association of B.C.

“IPPs are poised to become another piston in the B.C. resource industry export engine along with mining, forestry and oil and gas — with the ensuing benefits to the provincial treasury,” the submission states.

The independent power association argues that energy planning must move beyond the traditional objective of providing BC Hydro customers with the lowest possible electricity rates, and incorporate climate change actions, renewable power development and some social policies into the price of power.

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BC Hydro official expects first contract awards shortly

* Award process delayed since last summer
* Some small companies depend on contracts for survival

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Long-term power contracts are expected to be awarded shortly to small clean energy producers in British Columbia, an official at the Canadian province’s main power utility said on Tuesday, as the industry despaired at how long the process was taking.

“I expect that we would have a first tranche of awards in the ‘Clean Power Call’ very shortly,” said Cam Matheson, director of energy planning at BC Hydro.

“I am not going to promise a date because I think we need to be out of that game of promising dates. I think people will be quite pleased with what we’ve got in the near future,” Matheson told Reuters on the sidelines of a power conference in Vancouver.

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Province needs to restore public confidence and show that power for export works to its benefit

British Columbia needs to take a closer look at the effect new renewable electricity development will have on communities, business and the environment before it commits to increasing the size of the sector, environmental groups said Thursday.

A report prepared for 25 environmental groups says B.C. needs to restore public confidence as well as demonstrate that plans to develop power for export will work to the benefit of the province.

“Many British Columbians–including those deeply concerned about climate change — harbour concerns about how renewable electricity is currently planned, promoted and developed in B.C.,” says a six-page report released Thursday.

“They want to see renewable electricity projects, but they want to be confident that those projects are planned and developed in a way that limits impacts and maximizes benefits for British Columbians.”

The report was co-written by David Suzuki Foundation, Pembina Institute, Watershed Watch Salmon Society and West Coast Environmental Law.

The report is aimed at both the government and members of a Green Energy Advisory Task Force announced last month by Premier Gordon Campbell to recommend new policies for green power development, and opportunities to export renewable power to the United States.

Blair Lekstrom, minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, said he welcomed the report.

Lekstrom encouraged the authors to submit it to the committee which is due to report back to government in January.

By Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun

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