New transmission is a major issue and permitting is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Overhead HV often takes 5-7 years to permit. HVDC lines take far less time, because they are laid underground and require only a small right-of-way, which speeds up the process to a two- to three-year average. Such lines also don’t have cooling or freezing issues and (more…)

The IPP Sea Breeze Power is launching a $300 million shovel-ready wind farm at the northern end of Vancouver Island, BC. The Cape Scott project will feature 55 Vestas turbines that will generate close to 100MW. It took ten years to develop in partnership with three First Nations and will be the first wind farm on the coast of British Columbia. It is expected to (more…)

According to KPMG’s Cleantech Report Card, British Columbia (BC) may be the third largest cleantech cluster worldwide. The Canadian province has had a carbon tax since 2008 and its government became carbon-neutral in 2010. BC sits on enormous natural gas reserves, and its hydro-enabled energy prices are (more…)

International demand for cleaner sources of energy has spawned a surging wood biomass industry in British Columbia, where 11 plants now produce wood pellets for a global market.

The market growth has so far largely occurred in Europe, where use of pellets as a coal substitute has (more…)

Ontario’s burgeoning green energy market has recently attracted British Columbia’s attention.  The B.C. provincial government is set to introduce regulations similar to the feed-in tariff (FIT) program that has helped propel Ontario’s alternative energy sector forward over the past year.

Ontario’s FIT program encourages (more…)