BC Hydro receives bids from across BC in 2006 Open Call for Power
COMMENT: 53 projects, 37 bidders, 1800 MW and 6700 GWh - and only two burning fossil fuels and one most likely burning garbage (Green Island Energy).
That's not bad. It would be good, but for the coal and the garbage.
There's also the unleashing of run-of-river projects with no forethought or oversight.
BC's smaller rivers are now being "clearcut" for power and the BC government still has no grasp of the role it should play in managing these rivers - other than to issue licenses as the applications come in. You want a water license? You've got it.
It's good to see wind in the bidding. The Peace region is hugely promising, as is the north coast. BC might finally join the rest of North America, and the rest of the world, in having some wind generation. But two of BC's longest-standing wind "developers" aren't here. Where is Sea Breeze with its Knob Hill project? Where is Uniterre with Nai Kun? Both companies long on the good story, short on the ground.
No natural gas. That's nice, but not surprising given the cost of the stuff. To think we might already be living the GSX-Duke Point dream of BC Hydro. And paying for it! Small nod of gratitude to the GSXCCC, please.
Five "waste heat" projects by EnPower are at locations where the Duke Energy BC Mainline has compressor stations. Interesting.
No capacity or cost figures are divulged in these tender submissions. Both Hydro and the government will probably be able to claim BC Clean almost all the way (except for the coal, cough, cough) when the winners emerge in late summer.
But those cost figures are all important. BC Hydro, BC Utilities Commission and the BC Government are on the same page with this one. It's the page in the government's Energy Plan that says "lowest cost". If coal can produce the power cheaper than wind, then coal it is.
In the meantime, the cone of silence will fall, once again, over the F2006 Call, and we will wait ...
Wide range of resources proposed by private sector developers
April 11, 2006
PROVINCE-WIDE – BC Hydro has received bids for 53 separate projects from 37 independent power producers in response to the 2006 Open Call for Power, issued in December 2005. The projects submitted include electricity generation from both small and large facilities, include hydro, wind, biomass and coal resources and represent approximately 1,800MW. Firm energy tendered totals approximately 6,500 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, enough power to supply 650,000 homes.
"Acquiring power from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) is a key aspect of the Long Term Acquisition Plan recently filed in conjunction with the 2006 Integrated Electricity Plan," said BC Hydro's Senior Vice President of Distribution, Bev Van Ruyven. "We will be looking to IPPs to play a lead role in filling the gap between existing supply and rising customer demand for electricity."
"We are extremely pleased with the response to the Call as it indicates that private sector developers have confidence in projects utilizing a wide range of resources in many areas across the province," added Van Ruyven. "Our plan was to acquire at least 2,500 GWh per year of firm energy through a competitive process and we now have the potential to acquire more than that target."
Over the coming months BC Hydro will be evaluating the Tenders against the criteria that were provided in the Call documents. These criteria include a preference for BC Clean power, price and other factors. Contract awards will be announced in late summer 2006. Information related to the bid prices tendered and other factors that determine contract awards will be released once the contract awards are announced.
The Brilliant Expansion Power Corporation, an affiliate of the Columbia Power Corporation, also submitted an offer to sell energy from their Brilliant Expansion Project through a separate process. They will be awarded a contract if their offer is competitively priced as compared to those projects awarded contracts through the 2006 Call for Power process. This offer will not impact the amount of firm energy being sought under the 2006 Call for Power.
Contact:
Elisha Moreno
Media Relations manager
Phone: 604 623-4099
elisha.moreno@bchydro.com
F2006 CFT Tender Submissions
| Bidder Name | Location | Generation Technology |
| 3986314 Canada Inc. | Nelson | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Advanced Energy Systems Ltd. | Revelstoke | Run-of-River Hydro |
| AESWapiti Energy Corporation | Tumbler Ridge | Coal |
| Anyox Hydro Electric Corp. | Alice Arm | Hydro with Storage |
| Axiom Power Inc. | Woss | Hydro with Storage |
| AXOR Group Inc. | Chetwynd | Wind |
| Tumbler Ridge | Wind | |
| Bear Mountain Wind Limited Partnership | Dawson Creek | Wind |
| Canadian Hydro Developers | Kamloops | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Kamloops | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Revelstoke | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Revelstoke | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Cogenix Power Corporation | Boston Bar | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Compliance Power Corporation | Princeton | Biomass - Woodwaste and Coal |
| District of Lake Country | Kelowna | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Dokie Wind Energy Inc. | Chetwynd | Wind |
| Chetwynd | Wind | |
| EnPower Green Energy Generation Inc. | 150 Mile House | Waste Heat |
| Quesnel | Waste Heat | |
| Hixon | Waste Heat | |
| Savona | Waste Heat | |
| Summit Lake | Waste Heat | |
| Global Cogenix Industrial Corporation | Boston Bar | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Green Island Energy, Ltd. | Gold River | Biomass - Woodwaste |
| Hupacasath First Nation | Port Alberni | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Hydromax Energy Limited | Sechelt | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Sechelt | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| KMC Energy Corp. | Chilliwack | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Kwalsa Energy Limited Partnership | Mission | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Kwoiek Creek Resources Limited Partnership | Lytton | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Link Power Management Ltd | Chilliwack | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Mackenzie Green Energy Inc. | Mackenzie | Biomass - Woodwaste |
| Maroon Creek Hydro Partnership | Terrace | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Mount Hays Wind Farm Limited Partnership | Prince Rupert | Wind |
| Northwest Green Power Corporation | Smithers | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Plutonic Power Corporation | Powell River | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Hope | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Gibsons | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Raffuse Energy Corp. | Squamish | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Raging River Power & Mining Inc | Port Alice | Hydro with Storage |
| Remote Structures Inc | Golden | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Renewable Power Corp. | Sechelt | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Second Reality Effects Inc. | Squamish | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Port Moody | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Songhees Creek Hydro Inc. | Port Hardy | Hydro with Storage |
| Sound Energy Inc. | Gibsons | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Spuzzum Creek Power Corp. | Agassiz | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Synex Energy Resources Ltd | Village of Tahsis | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Village of Tahsis | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Gold River | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Port Alice | Run-of-River Hydro | |
| Upper Stave Energy Limited Partnership | Mission | Run-of-River Hydro |
| Valisa Energy Inc. | Blue River | Run-of-River Hydro |
BC Hydro news release, 11-Apr-2006
Posted by Arthur Caldicott on 12 Apr 2006