By Glenn Kauth
surge I
Energy self-sufficiency in B.C. is not without its legal challenges.
t's the latest reincarnation of British Colum- bia's gold rush. But this time, the precious commodity being sought is less tangible as investors pour hundreds of millions of dol- lars into uninhabited islands and remote riv-
ers. The goal is to harness clean energy, and with the province's electric utility willing to sign agree- ments to buy private power for up to 40 years, en- trepreneurs see big potential to cash. B.C.'s aim is to achieve energy self-suffi ciency by 2016. Other provinces, notably Ontario, have also
been turning to private companies to fi ll the al- ternative-energy void in recent years. In B.C., the government's energy plan proposes to meet the 2016 target without nuclear generation. At the same time, all new electricity sources must have zero net greenhouse gas emissions, according to the plan. A recent call by BC Hydro for clean-power pro-
posals in November attracted 68 bids to produce electricity from sources including so-called run-
Falls on East Toba River in British Columbia, an area being devel- oped by Plutonic Power Corp., an independent power producer that answered BC Hydro's call for clean power.
INHOUSE FEBRUARY 2009 • 19 Power
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PLUTONIC POWER CORP.
