The province announced $486,000 in funding for a 100-kilowatt solar project in the Kwadacha First Nation community of Fort Ware on Thursday.
The funding, provided under the Renewable Energy for Remote Communities, will see the installation of solar panels on the school in the remote community, located 570 kilometres north of Prince George. The solar panels will supplement the community's diesel power generator, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 87 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
"I'm excited about this opportunity," Kwadacha First Nation Chief Darryl McCook said. "This project fits perfectly with Kwadacha's vision of becoming energy self-sufficient in a green and sustainable way. Renewable energy is the way of the future. This project allows Kwadacha for the first time to see and use this technology. Having this project tied to the school will give the children of Kwadacha a better understanding of solar power and its possible uses in the future."
The program was developed in 2019 to help communities not connected to the provincial electrical grid reduce their dependence on diesel generators. Roughly 70 per cent of communities not on the BC Hydro grid are Indigenous communities.
"Our CleanBC goal is to reduce diesel consumption for power generation in remote communities by 80 (per cent) by 2030," Energy Minister Bruce Ralston said. "By building partnerships and creating opportunities with Indigenous communities and businesses, we can help remote communities get off diesel and benefit from more efficient, healthier and cleaner fuel sources."
