Kyuquot, British ColumbiaKa:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nations OverviewThe Ka:'yu:'k't'h' / Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nations' community of Kyuquot, British Columbia, is located on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island and is home to about 200 full-time residents. For over 20 years the community has sought to address a concern shared by many First Nations in Canada — how to reduce the costs and environmental impacts of meeting local energy needs in a remote, off-grid community. High Cost of ElectricityIn 2003, Kyuquot's electricity cost $0.36/kWh — almost six times more than British Columbia's standard rate Kyuquot has relied on diesel generators to supply electricity, but the operating and maintenance cost of running the generators was high. In 2003, Kyuquot's diesel-generated electricity cost $0.36/kWh — almost six times more than British Columbia's standard rate of $0.06/kWh for grid-supplied electricity. Factoring in rising fuel costs, Kyuquot's Band Council expected to pay about $184,000 more annually for electricity than a similar-sized community with access to the provincial grid for electricity by 2005. Environmental ImpactsThe environmental impacts of operating the generators were also of concern to the Band Council and local residents. The combustion of diesel releases greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and results in local air pollutants that are known to cause lung cancer after prolonged exposure. The emissions produced by the continuous operation of Kyuquot's generators were equivalent to 68 pick-up trucks driving 55 km every day of the year within the community. In addition, cracked storage tanks have led to diesel spills that have contaminated several sites in the small community. Taking ActionConcerned that Kyuquot's energy supply was unnecessarily expensive and polluting, Kyuquot's Band Council approached the Pembina Institute in 2003 for assistance in reducing costs and improving the quality of local electricity supply. ObjectivesBeginning in November 2003, the Pembina Institute's Sustainable Communities Group worked with members of the Ka:'yu:'k't'h' / Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nations, Band Council and Administration to identify how concerns regarding the high costs and environmental impacts of meeting Kyuquot's energy needs could be addressed. Three key objectives were identified:
OutcomesKevin Head, Band Manager of the Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k:tles7et'h' Nations, reports that Kyuquot's experience working with the Pembina Institute has been extremely positive both in terms of the process and the success of delivering on the intended objectives. CEP FundingKevin Head notes the assistance and resulting funding has been critical in enabling the community to explore and pursue alternative options for meeting local energy needs. Understanding the funding, the bureaucracy associated with getting funding for these kinds of projects is a real challenge. Frankly, without Tim [Tim Weis, Senior Technical and Policy Analyst, the Pembina Institute] we wouldn't have been able to do it. We absolutely needed help in doing that. We just don't have a lot of capacity in dealing with that kind of stuff... We've been able to get a lot of funding for this work through Aboriginal Business Canada, CAEDI [Community Alternative Energy Development Initiative, Western Diversification], and ANCAP [Aboriginal and Northern Community Action Program] for different projects. So the cost has been really minimal to the Band. It may be 10% of the total project costs. So that's a plus. A big plus. Awareness Raising and Community SupportBeyond funding, the success of a Community Energy Plan depends on community involvement and support for the recommended actions. Kevin Head points to the Pembina Institute's participatory and informative approach as being a key factor in raising people's awareness of energy issues and generating interest in the Community Energy Plan. Working with Tim was great, his approach was great, and he was generous with his time. It brought the reality of the problem to the forefront. It wasn't something that people could just ignore. There were a lot of meetings about it, and it was talked about a lot. There were presentations at the school and in the community, so it became more of a public issue, more of a community issue. People are now more educated, more informed, and they can make better decisions [regarding energy issues]. Cost Savings and Reduced Environmental ImpactsThrough a series of workshops, surveys and discussions, the community identified reducing energy costs as its primary concern. However, people also wanted to ensure their Community Energy Plan provided for a sustainable energy supply that would result in minimal environmental impacts. Reflecting on the results of the process to date, Kevin Head states, One gain from the project was energy efficiency... getting people to use compact florescent light bulbs, not leaving TVs on all night, that type of thing. However, while these measures have already reduced the community's energy costs, Kevin is more excited about the opportunity to replace Kyuquot's diesel generators with a more affordable, reliable and low-impact energy system. The highlight was finding out that yes, there are these other options that are cost effective, that are environmentally friendly, that will save us a lot of money-it was fantastic news when we found out there were other possibilities. The alternatives [wind and micro-hydro] were identified as being realistic in terms of being environmentally feasible. The options also present a cost savings, in some cases a huge cost savings, to the Band. The only downside was that it turned out to be a very complex situation, because there are so many combinations we could have! One is wind-diesel, another is wind-grid extension, micro hydro, micro hydro-diesel; micro hydro-grid; grid extension on its own... Determining which energy system is the best option for Kyuquot is not an easy decision. However, the Pembina Institute continues to support Kyuquot's Band Council by helping it to consider the economic, social and environmental trade-offs between the various options. Once the Band Council reaches its decision, the Pembina Institute will also assist in developing an implementation plan and business model to help ensure the project delivers the maximize benefits to the community. Looking into the FutureIn 2006, with the assistance of Synex Energy, Kyuquot was able to connect to the British Columbia power grid enabling them to displace their diesel generators. The community is continuing to monitor the local wind and small hydro resources with the hopes of one day exporting green power. Kevin and the other community members were already thinking of where they would like to invest their future energy savings. Say we could cut $100,000 a year off of our energy costs. The first thing is it would help balance our budget... that would be the number one priority. Housing is the second priority; employment, job creation is another; community projects-there is a lot of talk about building a rec centre for the youth; cultural projects-people are talking about wanting to build a big house, a meeting place for dancing and those kind of ceremonies. The list goes on and on... they are all good community interests. The Pembina Institute strives to assist First Nation communities gain the capacity to make informed decisions on energy issues, and manage local energy resources efficiently and sustainably. Perhaps the best indicators of a successful Community Energy Plan are the possibilities it creates for the community. For more information on the services we offer to aboriginal communities, contact Tim Weis, P.Eng.Aboriginal Contact
|
|
 |
 |
 |
