CanGEA comments on BC Clean Energy Act
Harbor with parliament in the background, Victoria, BC/ Canada (source: flickr/anneh632, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
4 May 2010
The Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA) welcomes the province of British Columbia's new Clean Energy Act and states "opportunity in its ambition."
In a release, “The Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA) welcomes British Columbia’s recently released Clean Energy Act and sees opportunity in its ambition. The Act, which has drawn fire for skirting Utility Commission approval on major energy projects, will have greater Ministerial authority to advance renewable energy projects while providing clean and reliable power for the province.
“The new Clean Energy Act opens the way to an exciting new age of economic growth and job creation by unleashing British Columbia’s full potential in clean energy” said Premier Gordon Campbell.
“The new Clean Energy Act opens the way to an exciting new age of economic growth and job creation by unleashing British Columbia’s full potential in clean energy” said Premier Gordon Campbell. Indeed there is great potential in the province’s renewable energy sector to provide clean energy for tomorrow while creating jobs for today – particularly in the geothermal energy sector. As one of the few base-load renewable energy sources, geothermal power is poised to take advantage of the new Act to replace fossil fuel burning plants and aging hydro facilities.
Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources echoed the Premier’s thoughts in saying “The Clean Energy Act builds on the work of the Green Energy Advisory Task Force with a new statutory framework to encourage new investments and jobs, strengthen BC Hydro and secure British Columbia’s power needs at low rates for generations to come”. CanGEA members Craig Aspinall and Warren Brazier took part in the Green Energy Advisory Task Force which released their findings last week highlighting the vast potential for geothermal energy development in the province under the new Act.
The Clean Energy Act also acknowledges the tremendous opportunity for power export to the United States and neighbouring provinces and territories. In light of less favourable options, BC’s clean, renewable energy is a highly sought after commodity that other jurisdictions are eager to tap into. For geothermal power there is an added benefit as the industry has the capability of exporting not only power but also capacity – something other energy sources such as hydro cannot to do due to resource foreign ownership concerns.
CanGEA, on behalf of its members, will continue to play an active role in attracting policy reform and incentives to advance the geothermal energy industry within the province and Canada. The Green Energy Act is an important step in promoting the sustainable and responsible development of BC’s clean energy resources.”
Source: Renewable Energy World
