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BC publishes key manual for power projects and stakeholders
December 20, 2008
VANCOUVER, BC - (IPPBC Press Release)
The Independent Power Producers Association of B.C. (IPPBC) today welcomed the release of a manual of the provincial and federal government guidelines covering all the permitting, regulatory and public consultation requirements for the development and assessment of project proposals by independent power producers in British Columbia.
The 152-page Independent Power Production in B.C. – An Inter-Agency Guidebook for Proponents was a collaborative effort involving provincial and federal government agencies, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and Fraser Valley Regional District, B.C. Hydro, the IPPBC and some individual power companies.
“This Guidebook is a useful consolidation of the many permits and consultations required of project proponents,” said Steve Davis, President of the IPPBC. “However, it serves an equally important public function in terms of educating interest groups, local governments, First Nations and the public on the very complicated and stringent regulatory hurdles that face the development of any new power project in B.C.”
“It is unfortunate that groups that may be opposed to a specific project often begin by attacking the validity of the regulatory and assessment processes. This Guidebook should be required reading for anyone interested in how IPPs are reviewed and either approved or rejected.”
The Guidebook contains 11 Chapters covering everything from the BC Energy Plan and BC’s Energy Gap, through permitting basics, the stages of project development, provincial and federal environmental assessments, community stakeholder engagement, consultations with First Nations and the processes for selling and transmitting electricity.
The Guidebook also lists 12 provincial Acts and six federal Acts which govern IPP developments plus literally dozens of permits, licenses and certificates that govern everything from building roads, to minimum flows, to migratory bats, to cumulative effects, to recreational use, to the provision of waste treatment facilities on construction sites.
Link to the Inter-Agency Guidebook for Proponents
