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PROVINCE AND BC HYDRO LAUNCH BIOENERGY CALL
PROCESS |
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VANCOUVER – In support of the BC Energy Plan, BC Hydro today launched the Bioenergy call
process with a Request for Expressions of Interest to assess the
potential of using wood fibre for power production. This Bioenergy Call will
help meet the Province’s goal of making British Columbia a leader in clean
energy.
BC Hydro is asking for preliminary proposals in order to identify potential projects that will generate electricity from wood fibre fuel sources such as beetle-killed timber, sawmill residue and logging debris.
“The BC Energy Plan recognizes the enormous potential to build on British Columbia’s natural bioenergy resource advantages,” said Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Richard Neufeld. “The steps BC Hydro is taking today will help us meet our goal of electricity self-sufficiency and secure B.C.’s position as a leader in Canada for the use of biomass for energy.”
“Energy production is an innovative way to use mountain pine beetle-damaged timber,” Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman said. “It helps to recover the value of the dead wood and creates a viable energy opportunity.”
“BC Hydro is committed to finding new, clean, renewable sources of power for British Columbians and we see wood fibre as one of the many potential sources of this clean energy,” said BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton. “Another potential benefit of these bioenergy projects is that they will provide us with firm power which we can schedule to use at times when we most need the electricity.”
B.C.’s new Energy Plan requires that at least 90 per cent of electricity come from clean, renewable resources. BC Hydro’s 2007 Bioenergy Call for Power will help address the surplus of wood residue.
The deadline for expressions of interest to be filed with BC Hydro is
April 17, 2007. For more information, go to www.bchydro.com/2007bioenergy.
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 |
BC Hydro 604 623-4099 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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