Government representatives gathered Wednesday in downtown Prince George to recognize the funding partners behind the city's district energy system.
Mayor Shari Green was joined by Prince George-Peace River MP Bob Zimmer and Federation of Canadian Municipalities director Susie Gimse at the system's back up plant on George Street to highlight the progress of the two-year-old infrastructure that provides space heating and domestic hot water by burning wood waste from Lakeland Mills.
FCM's Green Municipal Fund uses $550 million from the federal government to support local government projects that focus on improving air, water and soil quality as well as climate protection.
Prince George received a $4 million loan and $800,000 grant from the fund for the district energy system's construction.
This week, the system is getting hooked up to the Wood Innovation and Design Centre, joining the new RCMP detachment, City Hall, Four Seasons Pool, the Coast Inn of the North, the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library, the Coliseum and the Civic Centre.
Earlier planned acknowledgment of the financial support for the project was cancelled in the wake of the Lakeland Mills explosion, said Green.
The federal government believes in green projects and the technology developed in Prince George and at UNBC to use wood waste to provide heat to the city "is just cutting edge and out-of-the-box thinking," said Zimmer.
The system reduces natural gas emissions by 1,800 tonnes per year, said Green, adding that switching to the district energy system reduced the city's energy consumption by 17,000 gigajoules in 2013, which is enough energy to heat 110 homes for a year.
"We look around and, beyond this building, we don't directly see the benefits of your dedication to environmental stewardship, we don't immediately perceive the results of this significant investment - one that we know will enrich your community for generations to come," said Gimse, also a Squamish Lillooet Regional District director. "Future development in Prince George is poised to extend beyond forestry and other traditional sectors. Your city's embrace of technology has opened the door to new opportunities."
