LiveSmart BC Community Feature
Co-op Generates Energy
Steve Rison wants his community to be self-sufficient, especially when it comes to energy supply.
As president of the Peace Energy Cooperative – a member-run, for-profit cooperative based in Dawson Creek – he’s working hard to make it happen.
The 378 member cooperative was formed in 2002 to develop and invest in renewable energy projects.
“Our region has lots of renewable energy potential,” said Rison. “We have lots of sunshine, lots of cloud-free days, lots of wind. We also have geothermal potential.”
On August 6, the co-op celebrated when its first major undertaking, the Bear Mountain Wind Park, reached a milestone: the first of 34 wind turbines started generating energy.
The 102-megawatt wind park, which was jump-started by the Peace Energy Cooperative in 2002, will be complete by the end of October.
“I hope the success of our co-op gets other communities excited about what’s possible,” said Rison.
The Bear Mountain Wind Park is owned and operated by Calgary’s AltaGas, but the co-op got the ball rolling by acquiring the crown land lease and working with Victoria’s Aeolis Wind Power Corp to develop the site.
The turbines have been placed in a single line along an eight kilometre ridge that faces the strong southwest winds common in the Peace region. Located 15 kilometres southwest of Dawson Creek, the turbines can be seen from the town centre.
Given their size, Rison was surprised by the amount of noise they produce.
“Standing at the base, you can’t hear the turbine turning,” he said. “All you can hear is the wind.”
Now that the wind park is in its final stages, the Peace Energy Cooperative is exploring future projects.
One possibility will see the conversion of Dawson Creek’s centennial swimming pool into a waste heat storage tank. The project would allow waste heat to be reused, and it would provide a practical use for a building that was slated for demolition after a new swimming pool complex was developed.
“We have the ideas and enthusiasm for these projects, and we seek out the expertise as we need it,” said Rison.
Rison is a self-employed businessman as owner/operator of Dawson Saw Works, but he has long been dedicated to environmental issues. He is currently a council member on one of B.C.’s Citizen Conservation Councils on Climate Action, and he has served as chair of both the Canadian Environmental Network and the BC Environmental Network.
For information about the Bear Mountain Wind Park and future renewable energy projects, visit the Peace Energy Cooperative.
