Energy Planning for our Nations

Ever wonder why there aren’t wind turbines or solar panels in all communities around the Salish Sea or why we pay so much for heating and powering our homes?

Halalt, Homalco, Tsawwassen and Stz’uminus First Nations are about to find out answers to these questions and more thanks to $80,000 in funding from the provincial First Nation Clean Energy Business Fund to Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council (NmTC). The project will coordinate an eight-month community energy planning process with those nations the started June 1.

The purpose of the project is to gain an understanding of each community’s energy needs and goals while identifying opportunities for energy savings and viable renewable energy generation.

Chief James Thomas of Halalt, who is also chair of NmTC, said: “We are looking forward to exploring our community energy opportunities more closely and the savings that might result. We spend a lot of money every year on heating and powering our public buildings and if we could channel some of that elsewhere, it would be great.”

A consulting team will identify current energy consumption patterns, future energy needs, energy resources and infrastructure. Inspections of key buildings and a sample of homes will take place in each community on energy efficiency issues.

The team will also examine local natural resources in or near the communities to determine the potential for renewable power generation including wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and tidal.