The Lhoozk’uz Dene Nation is one of 12 First Nations communities, including three in our region, that is receiving provincial funding through the Community Energy Diesel Reduction (CEDR) program, a Clean BC initiative.
Lhoozk’uz Dene is getting $350,000 for a biomass combined heat-and-power system for Kluskus.
Neal Gauthereau, the band’s Natural Resources Manager, explains.
“What we’re hoping is we’ll be able to make the transition from diesel generators at the moment which provide all of our power, and be able to move us into being able to utilize the mountain pine beetle that’s dead, dying, as well as the fibre that has been burnt over the numerous recent wildfires.”
Gauthereau says there will also be room for expansion.
“We have 13 homes out there right now, plus a school, a church, a contractor’s cabin plus a preacher’s cabin. The beauty of this project is that the generators are modular, so what we can do as our community expands and grows, is be able to add on a second generator and be able to provide electricity and heat for a whole other gamut of housing out there.”
Gauthereau says they will also be able to generate enough power to be able to run a greenhouse that would be able to feed the community or provide vegetables and fruits to market as well.
He says the project has been in the works for about five years now, and he says this 350 thousand will allow them to sort of wire up the community and get them over the finish line.
The Ulkatcho First Nations received almost 766 thousand dollars in funding for pre-construction activities for a proposed 4.4 megawatt solat PV plant and energy-storage facility, and the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation received 100 thousand dollars to perform energy audits on residences to plan for the implementation of shallow and deep building retrofits with a focus on heat pumps.