TRANS-CANADA 50th: Revelstoke motors past a milestone of highway history - 12
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Vol. 114, No. 29
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www.revelstoketimesreview.com
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Weds., July 18, 2012
Savour the Wide Open Spaces - 20
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TIMESReview
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Draft BC Hydro plan calls for Revelstoke 6
MAKING A SPLASH
$340 MILLION PROJECT WOULD GENERATE 500 MEGAWATTS OF ENERGY ALEX COOPER reporter@revelstoketimesreview.com
Elizabeth Elliott races in the backstroke at the Revelstoke Aquaducks home swim meet on Sunday. The Aquaducks were victorious at the meet this past weekend, defeating powerhouse teams such as the Salmon Arm Sockeyes. The team set six meet records along the way, including three by James Lebuke. For the full story, see page 10.
A new high-level plan for BC Hydro is recommending the installation of a sixth turbine at the Revelstoke Dam by 2019 in order to help the province reach forecasted energy demands. The draft Integrated Resource Plan 2012: A Plan to Meet B.C.’s Future Electricity Needs looks at the province’s forecasted energy consumption and ways to meet demands. It examines everything from potential sites for wind turbines and geothermal energy to coal and natural gas plants. According to the report, B.C.’s energy consumption is forecast to increase by 50 per cent in the next 20 years. The plan looks at ways to create capacity over the next decade to produce “cost-effective, reliable, clean electricity over the long term.” The draft plan prioritizes conservation but also stresses the need for new energy sources. Revelstoke Unit 6, as the new turbine is referred to, is identified by the report as “the most cost-effective dependable capacity option currently available to BC Hydro.” It would also help the province meet its targets under the Clean Energy Act, as well as help BC Hydro meet peak energy demands in the future. The environmental impact is stated to be minimal because the work will be contained within the existing dam. The new turbine would generate about 500 megawatts of energy. It comes with an estimated price tag of about $340 million, though costs could be as much as 50 per cent higher or 15 per cent lower. According to the report, it is expected to add $188 million to the province’s GDP, add $27 million to provincial government coffers and create about 2,390 jobs during construction and operation. The Integrated Resource Plan is still in the draft stage. It went to our for referral to local governments, First Nations, and other stakeholders from
Alex Cooper/Revelstoke Times Review
BC Hydro, page 2
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