Syntaris Power

News Release
March 11, 2010

Vancouver, British Columbia— BC Hydro announced some of the contract awards for its 2008 Clean Power Call this afternoon. According to a release posted on its website, upcoming contract awards will be posted on the site as they are finalized.

“We are pleased to note that BC Hydro has begun the process of awarding contracts to worthy projects,” says Syntaris Power Corp. CEO and President Robert Fraser. “We submitted three excellent hydroelectric projects to BC Hydro. They are well positioned in terms of pricing and can deliver clean, renewable energy to the grid,” he adds. “We are in final negotiations on contract terms and look forward to concluding contractual arrangements with BC Hydro shortly.”

Syntaris Power submitted three hydroelectric projects into the 2008 Power Call, representing a total estimated capacity of 104 Megawatts. The projects are Culliton Creek, a 15MW project located near Squamish; Kinskuch River, a 76 MW project located near Stewart; and Maselpanik Creek, a 13MW project southeast of Chilliwack.

To view Hydro’s announcement of the projects to be awarded contracts go here

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It has been a year since Mayor Gregor Robertson launched the Greenest City initiative, which concentrates on three general areas, including greener communities. The Olympics jump-started many of the recommended actions to keep us in line with the 2020 goal, but is the environment top of mind for Vancouverites?

To understand what makes a good city sustainable, IBM commissioned a countrywide Angus Reid survey in late 2009. The results for Vancouver were surprising. Residents say being green is an attribute of a city that works well, but they rank environment seventh in a list of priorities.

Topping the list of sustainability issues is transportation — not surprising for anyone who has sat on the Lions Gate Bridge, the Port Mann Bridge or in the Massey tunnel. But fixing traffic problems not only reduces commuting times, it leads to a greener, cleaner city.

In our preparations for the Olympics, Vancouver invested millions in our transportation systems. We all enjoyed the benefits of the Canada Line as it moved thousands of people around the city each day. But now that the Olympic cauldron has been extinguished, we still face the reality that Vancouver needs to better manage the traffic into and out of the city.

The cities of Singapore, Brisbane and Stockholm are all working to reduce both traffic congestion and air pollution through intelligent transportation solutions. Through the use of predictive tools and data analytics, public transportation and automobiles receive information to avoid traffic jams and improve commute times. And with the introduction of new battery technologies, fewer cars and city buses will rely on fossil fuels.

By Scott Hardy, Vancouver Sun

Link to article

Province could pay debt by selling renewable energy, report says

B.C. could pull in about $4.3 billion annually and eliminate its debt over several years by tapping into and selling its vast green-energy potential, said a report released yesterday.

Bio-energy, run-of-river, wind, geothermal, tidal, wave and solar energy could all be developed to help the environment and to work towards wiping out B.C.’s debt in 15 years or less, said the B.C. Citizens for Green Energy’s 76-page report.

“B.C. is widely recognized as having a natural abundance of renewable green energy resources. However, this natural abundance is currently going virtually untapped as are the economic and environmental benefits that developing them could bring to our province,” said the report, titled A Triple Legacy for Future Generations: B.C.’s Potential as a Renewable Green Energy Powerhouse.

“And if British Columbia was debt-free like Alberta, the $2.2 billion we currently spend to service our provincial debt could be spent instead on vital public services like health care and education.”

Link to full article

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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