Seabird Island – Three Indigenous communities on the Lower Mainland will join B.C.’s clean-energy sector with local projects following support from the Province.
The Province is partnering with Indigenous communities throughout B.C. to work toward a low-carbon future by providing funding from the First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund (FNCEBF).
The fund helps develop clean-energy projects driven and owned by Indigenous communities in areas such as solar, ocean thermal, wind energy, biomass, run-of-river hydroelectric power, energy-efficiency planning and other clean energy-related areas. A key goal of the fund is to increase the participation of Indigenous communities in B.C.’s clean-energy sector.
The FNCEBF provides Indigenous communities with clean-energy support in the areas of studies and planning, equity funding and revenue sharing.
The Musqueam Nation received $98,775 in equity funding to improve energy efficiency in three buildings owned by the Nation. The project includes two retrofit measures to upgrade the current mechanical systems in the administration building with new high-efficiency equipment, and new LED lighting will replace inefficient lighting fixtures in the administrative building, the cultural centre and the community centre.
Two additional Indigenous communities located on the South Coast received funding in 2021:
- Xa’xtsa (Douglas) First Nation — $35,485 in capacity funding to support a feasibility study for integrated heating and energy systems; and
- Sqéwqel Development Corporation (Seabird Island Band) — $50,000 in capacity funding for a feasibility study to assess the viability of both becoming a renewable natural gas supplier and constructing a renewable natural gas plant in partnership with FortisBC.
The FNCEBF is also resetting its capacity funding limit to $50,000 for all Indigenous communities to access for clean-energy projects.
In 2021, the fund provided more than $3.8 million to support new capacity and equity projects in 27 Indigenous communities throughout the province. The FNCEBF is accepting applications for the next intake until Jan. 31, 2022.
The FNCEBF aligns with the Province’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, which aims to create a balanced, sustainable future for climate action and the economy.
Kelli Paddon, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent – “People are concerned about climate change and know that we need to reduce emissions and shift to clean energy alternatives. I appreciate the work that the Xa’xtsa First Nation and Sqéwqel Development Corporation are doing to further the use of renewable energy and build a cleaner province for everyone.”
