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B.C. SUPPORTS CLEAN, EFFICIENT ENERGY FOR FIRST
NATIONS |
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VICTORIA – The Province is providing more than $670,000 to support the development of clean, efficient energy supplies and energy conservation projects for First Nations and remote communities, announced Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
“The BC Energy Plan supports First Nations and remote community energy programs to implement alternative energy, energy efficiency, conservation and skills training solutions,” said Neufeld. “We look towards British Columbia’s leading edge industries to help develop new, greener generation technologies with the support of federal and provincial programs.”
The community of Klemtu is upgrading
its existing run-of-river hydropower plant and has built new, local housing to
be more energy efficient in collaboration with the Province, federal government
and the Kitasoo-Xaixais First Nations. The Province is contributing more than
$440,000 for increased hydroelectric capacity and new homes built to EnerGuide
80 standards.
In Kitamaat Village, a series of
housing design community workshops hosted by the Kitamaat Village Council will
result in new housing designs that include cultural and energy efficiency
features while considering the use of local building materials. Funding of $57,450 will support the
housing design process facilitated by the Institute for Integrated Energy
Systems at the University of Victoria and Marceau-Evans Johnson Architects,
while the Kitamaat Village Council will receive $20,800 to support energy efficiency components
in new homes.
Throughout the Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte
Islands communities, energy efficiency upgrades were made to residential and
commercial buildings, and building-scale renewable energy systems were
installed to offset the environmental impacts and high costs of diesel
generation. The provincial government is providing more than $100,000 in
financial incentives towards energy efficiency upgrades and capital costs of
renewable energy systems through the provincial pilot Energy Savings Plan
(ESP).
The Province is also contributing a total of
$59,000 for housing designs, energy audits and energy efficiency components
that will help the Xwemalhkwu Nation complete housing design workshops that
will lead to affordable, energy efficient housing.
“These projects strengthen our commitment to
conservation and energy efficiency and will help us meet the energy efficiency
and clean energy targets established in the BC Energy Plan,” said Neufeld.
The Klemtu energy efficiency and
Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands projects are supported by $11 million the
ministry received from the federal Opportunities Envelope program through a
Contribution Agreement with Natural Resources Canada. The
Klemtu hydroelectric project, the Kitamaat Village projects and the Xwemalhkwu Nation projects are supported through the ministry’s First Nation and Remote Community
Clean Energy Program in 2006/07 with funds of $3.9 million from a separate
Contribution Agreement with the federal NRCan Opportunities Envelope.
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 250 213-6934 (cell) |
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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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