Williams Lake, B.C., mayor relieved as power plant closure averted

The politician of Williams Lake, B.C., says he's relieved that the provincial authorities and province's powerfulness supplier person stepped successful to halt a section powerfulness works from shutting down.

The privately-held Atlantic Power Corporation has operated the Northwest Energy works successful the cardinal B.C. assemblage since 1993. Provincial inferior B.C. Hydro purchases the plant's powerfulness for the grid done 10-year agreements.

Atlantic Power's plant, which employs astir 30 people, generates vigor by burning biomass — chiefly wood waste, fibre from sawmills, and logging debris.

But past year, the corporations told B.C. Hydro that it would unopen down the works successful January 2025 arsenic it was nary longer profitable, citing a deficiency of viable fibre proviso amid the wood industry's wider struggles.

The closure of the powerfulness works would person had superior impacts connected Williams Lake, according to Mayor Surinderpal Rathor.

On Friday, however, B.C. Hydro announced it had reached a woody with Atlantic Power to save the plant, saying it provided ways to root and negociate cost-effective fuel.

"A large alleviation is 1 connection for me, for council, for the leaders successful the community, the workers," Rathor told CBC News. "Big relief."

Before the agreement, the provincial authorities had told CBC News that forestry mill closures passim B.C. had cascading antagonistic impacts connected facilities similar Northwest Energy that relied connected wood waste.

"In addition, contention from pellet plants has contributed to a shortage of economical substance for biomass generators," a spokesperson for the Energy Ministry said successful January.

However, the spokesperson said that the authorities had funded projects that resulted successful much low-quality residual fibre being disposable for pulp mills, pellet plants and powerfulness plants.

City's largest taxpayer

A spokesperson for the City of Williams Lake shared a factsheet from Atlantic Power that indicated the works was the largest azygous payer successful the city, paying implicit $1.7 cardinal annually.

It generates astir 66 megawatts of power, which Atlantic Power says is capable to powerfulness 52,000 homes.

Atlantic Power's existent 10-year statement with B.C. Hydro to run the works volition tally until 2029.

B.C. Hydro says the facility's continued cognition would besides payment the Tŝideldel First Nation and Williams Lake First Nation, and it advances the government's committedness to maintaining much renewable vigor and reducing c emissions.

"[Workers] are precise happy. They tin program their beingness present ... they cognize they volition beryllium going backmost to enactment tomorrow," Rathor said. "There's nary uncertainty for them."