The sa国际传媒 government has given the green light to nine wind energy projects — including one on Vancouver Island — to help power the province’s economy and light up 500,000 homes, Premier David Eby said Monday.
sa国际传媒 Hydro selected the wind power projects following a strong response to its call for new renewable power-generation operations, he said at a news conference.
The development and construction will generate between $5 billion and $6 billion in private spending on the projects, four of which will be located in the sa国际传媒 Interior, four in the North and one on Vancouver Island, said Eby.
“We need more electricity,” Eby said, adding the prospect of more people, more jobs and more companies in sa国际传媒 will mean an increased need for clean, renewable energy.
“We also want companies to switch away from polluting fuels that can add to climate change,” he said.
“To put it all together, we need a lot more juice and that’s what this announcement is about.”
The nine wind energy projects will provide almost 5,000 gigawatts of energy annually, increasing sa国际传媒 Hydro’s power supply by eight per cent, Eby said.
The projects are slated for completion by 2031 at the latest, and eight of them have a 51 per cent Indigenous equity ownership, he said.
On Vancouver Island, Wei Wai Kum First Nation and Capstone Infrastructure have teamed up for the Brewster Wind Project, about 40 kilometres northwest of Campbell River, with a capacity of up to 200 megawatts, including about 30 wind turbines.
The power supply announcement comes as the Business Council of sa国际传媒 issued a report outlining concerns about the province’s economic future due to a potential decline in private sector investment and the completion of megaprojects like the Site C hydroelectric dam.
The council’s report said sa国际传媒 faces an “economic plateau,” and with no large projects scheduled, the province’s outlook remains uncertain.
“Where will sa国际传媒’s economic growth come from is the question we’re asking,” said the report’s co-author Ken Peacock, the business council’s chief economist, in a statement.
Peacock said the report called for swift action as sa国际传媒’s trade relationships become more volatile, particularly with potential United States policies, which could include tariffs on imports from sa国际传媒 and Mexico.
Eby said the business council report was released on the day sa国际传媒 was making an announcement that would contribute greatly to the future of the province as an economic generator and a clean-power leader.
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