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Mar 16,2007 - TriCity News

By Janis Warren The Tri-City News
Mar 16 2007

The federal government sprinkled some of its “green cash” on the Tri-Cities this week for an alternative energy project in Anmore.

The $120,000 to study the Anmore Renewal Energy Demonstration Project comes as Prime Minister Stephen Harper is gearing up for a federal election and handing out billions of dollars to provinces for environmental initiatives.

The Anmore plan is to generate and store clean power for up to 4,000 homes in the village and other Lower Mainland municipalities. The $5-million proposal, under the name of the Anmore Renewable Energy Foundation and Renaissance Power Corp., involves making hydrogen and electricity using water, wind and solar power.

The energy will be generated from a turbine in Buntzen Lake, which is managed by BC Hydro. The power company is looking at alternate sources, including independent run-of-the-river projects, to meet demand.

As well, a 5,000-square foot centre, which is to be built by 2009 under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, will be used for research and education. SFU, BCIT and UVIC are partnering, said Anmore Coun. Lee Vishloff.

At a press conference Wednesday outside Anmore village hall, Conservative MP James Moore (Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam), said the project was one of two priorities Mayor Hal Weinberg pitched when he was elected in 2000 (the other was the reconstruction of East Road).

“The work being done here in Anmore will be a model for other small, remote and First Nations’ communities demonstrating how renewable energy can be generated locally to meet community needs,” Moore said. “Over the long term, this project will enable communities across Canada to develop their own sustainable energy systems, further reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our environment.”

Weinberg thanked Ottawa for the grant, noting the project has been in the works for about five years.

The federal money for the feasibility study is in addition to previous commitments of $75,000 from B.C.’s Ministry of Environment, $15,000 from the Municipal Finance Authority of BC and $4,000 from the Independent Power Producers of BC.

The GVRD will also be approached next month to fill the funding gap for the $262,000 study, said Guy Heywood, chief financial officer for Renaissance.

jwarren@tricitynews.com

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