“I’m glad to be part of an industry that has such a great future in the province and build on the progress that the association has made to date,” says Wise. The IPPBC Board oversees all aspects of the strategy and operations of the Association, and manages the finances.“The next three years will be incredibly important for the IPPBC industry and I’m pleased that Mike Wise is on the board to express the views of Syntaris Power and work with other companies to strengthen the industry as a whole,” adds Robert Fraser, Syntaris Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

The mandate of the IPPBC is to develop a viable independent power industry in British Columbia that serves the public interest by providing cost-effective electricity through efficient and environmentally responsible development of the Province’s energy resources.

About Syntaris Power Corporation:

Syntaris Power Corporation, formerly Max Pacific Power, is a Vancouver-based green energy company committed to sourcing, developing and operating clean, renewable hydro electric energy projects in the Province of British Columbia. With an impressive hydropower development portfolio representing a total of over 600 Megawatts of expected energy, the company’s projects have the potential to bring socio-economic benefits to First Nations and local communities.

Upon successful development, Syntaris projects can potentially become an integral part of British Columbia’s long-term energy strategy to become energy self sufficient and create a legacy of safe, clean, renewable power for future generations.

For more information about Syntaris Power, visit the company website at www.syntaris.com

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The omission of nuclear is understandable since uranium, although plentiful now, will someday reach the end of its life cycle. Hydro power, though, uses turbines and the force of rushing water. This predominant source of electricity in Canada is a proven, nonpolluting renewable and effective source of electricity. It’s even recognized by environmentalists as a sustainable energy solution.

Hydro’s exclusion from the bill is both illogical and “astounding,” as Environment Minister Jim Prentice described it during a recent meeting with the Herald editorial board.

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Premier Gordon Campbell couldn’t be more pleased by the decision announced by NDP Leader Carole James on Thursday.

“I think Ms. James is now trying to repair a party that was badly damaged by the fact they were expedient instead of principled,” the premier said Friday. “But they have been the most anti-environmental political party in the country.”

James said Friday the party’s “job is to make that tax more effective and more fair.”

Rob Fleming, the NDP’s environment critic, refused to use the word “moratorium” when asked several times by reporters at the legislature on Friday about the party’s stand on IPPs, instead calling for a more thorough environmental review of the controversial projects.

“There are all kinds of renewable energy applications in British Columbia right now, and I think some of them are very interesting,” he told reporters at the legislature.

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Syntaris Power wants to raise the level of Kinskuch Lake by building a small dam where water would normally flow into the Kinskuch River.

The resulting reservoir would be drawn down during winter and early spring high electricity demand months and built up again during late spring and summer.

Company engineer Mike Wise describes the project as valuable not only for its ability to provide power when most needed but by the height water would drop through a tunnel called a penstock before spinning electricity-producing turbines.

“This is a high-elevation lake with the ability to generate power on demand,” said Wise.

The distance and height the water would drop is called the head in the hydro business and the more there is the better because there’s more force to turn the turbines.

“Think of it as a pipeline with a generator at the other end,” said Wise of a 4.25km tunnel that will carry the water from the lake to the generating station. Once through the station, the water will flow into the Kinskuch River, a tributary of the Nass River, its original destination.

With a key part of the plan being the ability to store water, it’s not a typical run-of-river project in which water is diverted from a river or creek before being returned. And with a projected capacity of 76 megawatts it is one of the larger independent projects being promoted in the region.

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We need a massive growth in the clean energy sector to replace the three-quarters of B.C.’s energy that is now fossil fuelled. We need it done fast, and we need it done right. The public needs assurance that run-of-river hydro, wind power and other projects will be sited in areas that are already industrialized and designed to ensure that fish and other habitat are protected.

Our existing energy efficiency and carbon restrictions need to be dialled up to what scientists tell us is needed. We need to be thinking at a whole new scale of ambition; homes, buildings, factories, vehicles must be weaned off fossil fuels. Zero carbon buildings are in place in other jurisdictions, let’s retrofit B.C. to that standard.

We need to dramatically scale up public transit. And let’s join leading jurisdictions in eliminating that most insidious technology — the internal combustion engine. B.C. could be running all electric cars powered by a green grid if we put the necessary laws in place.

B.C. has enviable advantages in building a clean energy economy. The twin spectres of global warming and the end of cheap oil may loom as catastrophes, but they are opportunities to build jobs and a new prosperity for those with the vision to seize the moment.

Tzeporah Berman, Special to the Vancouver Sun

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British Columbia aboriginals are ratcheting up their support for independent power projects.

A new $7-million “First Nation Regeneration Fund” announced Tuesday will give aboriginal groups access to capital to participate as co-owners in run-of-river power projects, proponents say.

Two aboriginal capital corporations, Ecotrust Canada and the federal government have all kicked in the money — which David Lantin, chief operating officer of Tribal Resources Investment Corporation (Tricorp), said will enable “four or five” first nations to borrow money to take an equity share in power projects in their communities.

First nations have struggled to ramp up their participation in power development, largely due to difficulty accessing capital — a situation aggravated by the recent global economic meltdown.

“Originally, we envisioned a larger-scale fund, but this is a start,” Lantin said in a telephone interview from Prince Rupert, home base for northern B.C.-focused Tricorp. “We will not be adding to it, but we will be looking at probably a second fund if this one works out according to plan.”

Tricorp’s shareholders include several of B.C.’s major northwest tribal groups — Haida, Nisga’a, two Tsimshian bands, Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en.

By Scott Simpson
Vancouver Sun

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“By investing in the Clean Energy Fund, our Government is encouraging new technologies now to help protect and preserve our environment for future generations,” said the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources. “Not only will this funding protect our long-term energy security, but this additional stimulus creates high-quality jobs for Canadians at a time when they’re most needed.”

The Fund invests $850 million in technology development and demonstration. This includes $650 million for large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects and $200 million for smaller-scale demonstration projects of renewable and alternative energy technologies.

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Gordon Campbell’s Liberals have clinched yet another majority government, while a referendum on a new STV voting system failed.

CTV called the election less than an hour after polls closed, handing the Liberals their third election win in a row.

After early results had the Liberals and New Democrats running neck and neck – the very first results actually showed an NDP lead – Mr. Campbell’s party had opened up a wide lead with about half the polls reporting. The Liberals were elected in 49 ridings, while the NDP won 36 and the Green Party in none. A party needs 43 seats for a majority in B.C.

Josh Wingrove
Globe and Mail update

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Liberal candidate Donny van Dyk sought to portray NDP incumbent Robin Austin as being anti-development and anti-jobs as they and the two others running for the job of Skeena MLA debated key issues.

The clash began over raw log export, which has been a key component to the battered northwest forest industry since the majority of its sawmills and pulp mills have been idle or dismantled.

Austin said an NDP government would restrict – but not completely ban – whole log exports, adding it was far better to find a way to process as much of the wood here as possible.

“How do you function as a community without an industrial tax base,” said Austin in noting that such a base barely exists in a city the size of Terrace.

“I find that absolutely shocking,” said van Dyk after listening to Austin’s comments. He said log exports kept people working at a time when there were few other woods industry prospects.

The Liberal then recited a list of prospective northwest economic development projects, including the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project, independent power production, the delayed Rio Tinto Alcan plan to modernize its smelter and the long sought-after Northwest Transmission Line he said Austin opposed.

“There is no industry here because you’ve been against it,” van Dyk told Austin.

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VANCOUVER — When B.C. voters go to the polls next Tuesday, they will not only choose a new government, but also decide the fate of an entire industry in the province - private power production.

The New Democratic Party, running neck-and-neck with the incumbent Liberals, wants to return B.C.’s focus to public power and is vowing to slap a moratorium on private production, hitting developers working on wind power and run-of-river projects.

A Liberal win would spell a big victory for upstart power producers.

Last year, the government launched a call for green power through publicly owned British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority. The utility is planning deals for at least 3,000 gigawatt hours of power - enough electricity for about 300,000 homes and, all in, roughly $5-billion in construction if every project went ahead. Long-term contracts with private energy providers are to be awarded this summer and would be a significant step for small firms.

But a moratorium would cast a chill on an already uncertain industry, according to Cloudworks Energy Inc., which has nearly completed one project near Vancouver and has bid for two more.

David Ebner, Globe and Mail

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