WHEREAS the Council of the City of Powell River supports the benefits of green power and recognizes the significant employment and economic benefits that Plutonic Power Corporation and Catalyst Paper Corporation bring to the Powell River area with regard to their green energy projects - including the partnership between Plutonic, School District 47 and their First Nations partners - and in particular, Council recognizes Plutonics and Catalysts efforts in addressing community concerns and needs with regard to their Powell River area projects; AND WHEREAS the Government of British Columbia has granted numerous water licenses, environmental permits and land tenures to private power developers without addressing environmental impacts, community land use planning and First Nation territorial concerns: THEREFORE be it resolved that the Government of British Columbia be urged to take a leadership role when granting environmental permits and land tenures within British Columbia relating to the development of private power projects by conducting a comprehensive regulatory, environment and community review process, to examine the cumulative impacts of proposed private power projects in regard to both generation and transmission.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources BC Hydro estimates demand for electricity to grow by 45 per cent in the next 20 years and the Province needs to be electricity self-sufficient by 2016, but it will require innovative solutions to get there. Independent power production IPP is just one part of the mix in order to meet that demand. Provincial land and water resources used for IPPs are not being sold, and must meet strict environmental standards. Other provincial and federal permits and approvals may also be required.