Photo: The Canadian Press

A $500-million wind farm south of Kamloops has been given the go-ahead from BC Hydro in the form of a 30-year electricity purchase agreement.

Toronto-based power producer Capstone Infrastructure Corp. said the project, named the Mount Mabel Wind Project, would include approximately 35 wind turbines that would be erected along the Coquihalla Highway between Kamloops and Merritt.

It was one of nine wind projects green lit by BC Hydro — together enough to power 500,000 homes, about eight per cent of B.C.'s grid.

Megan Hunter, Capstone's senior communications manager, said the company was thrilled to be selected by BC Hydro and is looking forward to getting started on the project.

“The project would generate almost 400,000 megawatt-hours of electricity a year, and that will power over 40,000 average British Columbian households every single year,” she said.

The project was proposed in response to a request for proposal from BC Hydro as part of an initiative aimed at addressing a drain on energy supply.

Environmental assessment waived

While the project would have otherwise required an environmental assessment, the province said it intends to fast-track the wind projects with an exemption to ensure they’re “completed as efficiently as possible.”

“We will still be doing robust consultation and engagement with Indigenous groups outside, of course, our partner, who are also in the shared territory,” Hunter said.

“Wildlife studies, environmental studies, cultural impacts, health impacts over the long term, all of the background work will still be taking place.”

The province said it intends to make all future wind projects in B.C. exempt from environmental assessment, as well.

While the project had originally been expected to come online in 2031, Hunter said the exemption of the environmental assessment means the timeline could change.

“At this time, we can’t really speak to any potential changes in timeline, but there is potential for it to begin a little bit earlier, but we’re figuring all of that out,” she said.

'Irresponsible' to waive assessment?

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer does not like the idea of the province waiving environmental assessments for the projects. He called it “totally irresponsible.”

“When you do an environmental assessment, it talks about everything, whether it’s the planning process, the actual building of the project and the completion of the project,” Stamer told Castanet Kamloops.

“That’s why you do an environmental assessment, to make sure that you don’t have these negative impacts, or you minimize them, and just to say that, ‘Oh, well we might have some’ — that’s not good enough.”

Stamer said he heard from many constituents concerned about a lack of consultation with nearby communities, possible impacts from the project and the lack of an environmental assessment.

“That’s one of the reasons why you have a thorough environmental process throughout these projects, is to make sure that people’s concerns are met and that everything is done properly, not just circumvent them because you’re trying to fight climate change,” he said.

Mitigation strategies

Hunter said wind farms are “no doubt” the most environmentally responsible source of power generation.

“It's not going to be completely free of any impact whatsoever, but in terms of mitigating climate change as well as compared to other sources of generation, it is quite low comparatively,” she said.

With the completion of its own studies, Hunter said Capstone will be able to implement measures into the design of the project to mitigate any negative impacts.

“As an example, birds and bats are a top consideration for wind farms, and they've been extensively studied,” Hunter said.

The project would include a substation, access roads, interconnection transmission line and ancillary equipment. Hunter said the project’s current design is a starting point.

“Now we’re going to go into all of the in-depth technical studies that need to be done, and the consultation and engagement piece, both of which are instrumental in information the final layout and design of the project,” Hunter said

“Even when it comes to ordering the equipment and the technology, there’s long lead times for that sort of stuff, and sort of the exact technology, turbine models, all of that is yet to be determined.”

Partnered with band

BC Hydro’s initiative asked for cost-effective projects that would create renewable electricity, required a minimum of 25 per cent equity ownership by Indigenous nations and will be able to come online between 2028 and 2031.

Hunter said the Lower Nicola Indian Band is the project’s First Nations partner. The band is a 51-per-cent equity partner in the project.

“There's ongoing engagement too in terms of level of involvement in the project, and also just consulting on next steps,” she said.

The project outline and notice of proposal was delivered to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board in October.

In partnership with the Ashcroft Indian Band, Capstone also received another electricity purchase agreement from BC Hydro for a 197-megawatt wind farm southwest of Logan Lake, dubbed the Highland Valley Wind Project.

Photo: Capstone Infrastructure Corporation