Renewable Energy

In December 2009, most of our communities signed Reconciliation Protocol Agreements  (RPA) with the Province. The protocols outline a framework for lasting reconciliation, providing increased economic and legal certainty for resource and land use, a process for shared decision making, and new opportunities to participate in the green economy.

Schedule E of the RPA included a commitment by government and the Coastal First Nations to develop a Clean Energy Action Plan to advance the development of alternative energy projects. The integrated strategy will provide for substantial economic and employment benefits for First Nations and for British Columbians.

The Clean Energy Action Plan, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources, BC Hydro, and the BC Clean Energy Association, sets the stage to advance the development of large scale, commercial, grid-connected projects, as well as remote community energy projects to move communities off diesel.
The implementation of the Clean Energy Action Plan will:

• Create business opportunities for remote communities who develop their own clean energy source to sell back to their utility provider;
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the associated costs of climate change;
• Create business development opportunities with economic benefits for coastal First Nations, acting in partnership with developers to build clean energy projects in their territories; and
• Create training and capacity building opportunities positioning First Nations to actively participate in the green economy.