Lumber producer Conifex Timber Inc.'s power production efforts will give a jolt to Mackenzie.
The B.C. Utilities Commission has approved Conifex's agreement to supply B.C. Hydro, with electricity from its bioenergy plant in Mackenzie.
The facility will generate 80 jobs during the 15-month construction period and over 20 new jobs upon completion. When fully operational, the plant will provide 230 gigawatt hours of net energy per year, enough to power 24,000 homes annually, according to Conifex. About 30 gigawatt hours of that total will be used to power Conifex's two Mackenzie sawmills.
The facility is expected to provide power to Hydro's grid starting in the third quarter of 2013 and generate $20 million in revenue for Conifex.
