The BC Utilities Commission has accepted a purchase agreement between BC Hydro and a Stellat鈥檈n First Nation and Innergex partnership for a wind farm near Fraser Lake.
The Nithi Mountain Wind Project is one of nine wind-energy projects accepted during BC Hydro's 2024 Call for Clean Energy projects. One solar project was also accepted.
To expedite the development of the 10 projects, Adrian Dix, B.C.'s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, announced on December 9, 2024, that the projects will be exempt from environmental assessments.
These nine wind projects are expected to generate nearly 5,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually, enough to power approximately 500,000 homes, and will increase BC Hydro鈥檚 current power supply by eight per cent.
"After a public and transparent review process, the BCUC found that the energy purchase agreements are in the public interest in accordance with the criteria in section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act," BCUC said in a press release this morning (Aug. 26)
The nine projects will cumulatively generate between $5 billion and $6 billion in private capital spending, and Dix said waiving the need for environmental assessment means they will be able to advance through development, construction, and completion faster, delivering clean power to the grid sooner.
"We need these new energy generation projects urgently to meet growing demand for power and accelerate our efforts to build a prosperous and inclusive clean economy," said Dix in a statement last year.
Four of the approved projects, including the Nithi Mountain Wind Project, are located in northern B.C., while four others are based in southern B.C., with one on Vancouver Island.
The Nithi Mountain Wind Project, which has a capacity of 200 MW, is a partnership between Stellat鈥檈n First Nation (51 per cent equity) and Innergex (49 per cent) in the Bulkley-Nechako region.
Innergex is also a partner in two other northern B.C. wind projects: the 160 MW K2 Wind Project with Westbank First Nation in the central interior and the 200 MW Stewart Creek Wind Project with West Moberly First Nations in the Peace Region.
BCUC said the projects are consistent with two of the province's key priorities, energy self-sufficiency and First Nations reconciliation.
"The energy purchase agreements will further the province鈥檚 goal of achieving energy self-sufficiency with electricity generated from 100 per cent clean or renewable sources," BCUC stated. "They will also encourage economic development and the creation and retention of jobs for First Nations and rural communities as the projects are located across the province and include First Nations equity partnerships ranging from 49 per cent to 51 per cent.
The nine successful projects were selected from 21 proposals submitted after a call for clean power in April 2024. The province noted that the cost of wind power has dropped significantly since its last competitive call for power in 2010, making these projects more cost-effective.
First Nations hold majority ownership of eight of the nine wind projects, and the Province has committed that First Nations' interests, along with environmental mitigation, will be fully protected throughout the development process.
-with files from Binny Paul and Wolf Depner
