ecoTECH Energy Group, headquartered in Seattle, WA, today announced that it recently was invited to a Jobs, Tourism & Innovation meeting in Blue River, BC, Canada. The meeting was in support of the Robson and Thompson Valley’s Corridor Jobs Creation Initiative. As part of the thrust to create socio-economic benefit in the corridor, 3 cabinet ministers were in attendance hosting the meeting – The Honourable Shirley Bond, The Honourable Pat Bell and The Honourable Terry Lake. After explaining several government backed initiatives to allow speedier progress for industry and tourism in the valleys, Attorney General Shirley Bond made a surprise announcement that Mr. Dan Doyle, OBC, Chairman of BC Hydro was joining the meeting and had an announcement to make. The Chairman of BC Hydro announced that as its commitment to this project, BC Hydro will fund approximately $50 million worth of system upgrades at the Valemount substation, the planned McBride substation and the microwave control towers that are required for the transmission line to McBride, BC, Canada.
In addition to the transmission line, BC Hydro will begin negotiating Electricity Purchase Agreements with clean energy producers in the region, one of which is ecoTECH.
ecoTECH presented its plan alongside Holmes Hydro and Snowshoe Power Ltd. Holmes Hydro is a co-financing partner in the Transmission line with ecoTECH and has already provided several detailed components for the Transmission line to be put in. Holmes and Snowshoe will be providing ROR (run of river) power to the line with ecoTECH providing power and shaping the power with a biomass power station. During freshet when Holmes is at full capacity, ecoTECH will do its maintenance and during the cold freeze, ecoTECH’s CHP station will be running at full capacity.
Currently, the Village of McBride receives electricity service via an 85 kilometre distribution line originating in Valemount. The line is at its maximum capacity and the region experiences more frequent outages than the provincial average. In July 2010, the Robson Valley Task Force was established of which ecoTECH was a participant to evaluate opportunities to improve electricity service and foster economic development in the Robson Valley.
As a result of the work of the Task Force, BC Hydro (www.bchydro.com), in conjunction with the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, has now identified that the most cost-effective option for extending the transmission system to McBride is to construct a new 138 kilovolt transmission line from the existing Valemount Substation and build a new substation in the McBride area.
“The announcement today is a result of years of work as an MLA with mayors and council, power producers, economic development officers, BC Hydro and the provincial government. The need for additional capacity and service reliability has been a significant issue for residents and industry alike. A new transmission line will help create jobs, secure power and act as a badly needed catalyst for economic development in the Robson Valley,” commented Shirley Bond, MLA Prince George-Valemount and Attorney General for British Columbia.
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