Clean Energy Powers Bella Coola,BC 清潔能源為不列顛哥倫比亞省貝拉庫拉提供動力

NewsRelease

CleanEnergyPowersBellaCoola,B.C.

InnovativeEnergyStorageProjectaBreakthroughforRemoteCommunitiesinCanadaandaroundtheWorld

ATLANTA,GA.—Sept.9,2010—TheHydrogenAssistedRenewablePower(HARP)projectinBellaCoola,BritishColumbiaisnowofficiallyinstalledandoperational.Thisstate-of-the-artenergystorageprojectsecurelypowerstheremotecommunityofBellaCoolawithlessenvironmentalimpact.TheHARPsystemisexpectedtoreduceBellaCoola’sannualdieselconsumptionby200,000litres–loweringgreenhousegasemissionsby600tonsannually.

TheprojectisapartnershipbetweenBCHydro,GEandPowertechandissupportedbytheprovinceofB.C.andSustainableDevelopmentTechnologyCanada(SDTC).Today,theHonourableStockwellDay,PresidentoftheTreasuryBoardandMinisterfortheAsia-PacificGateway,alongsideJohnRustad,MLA,NechakoLakesandChiefSpencerSiwallacefromtheNuxalkNation,commissionedtheprojectatacommunityeventinBellaCoola.

“OurGovernmentisworkingtopositionCanadaastheworld’sforemostcleanenergysuperpower,”saidtheHonourableStockwellDay.“WithinvestmentslikeGE’sgroundbreakingRenewableMicrogridSystems,ourGovernmentishelpingCanadianslivinginremotecommunitiestobelessdependentonfossilfuels.Throughthisproject,wearestimulatingCanada’sgreeneconomy,creatingjobsandhelpingprotecttheenvironment.”

BellaCoolaislocatedabout400kilometresnorthofVancouver.Duetoitsremotelocation,BellaCoolaisnotconnectedtoBCHydro’sprovincialelectricitygrid.Untilnow,thecommunityhasbeenpoweredbygreenhousegas-emittingdieselgeneratorsandbyarun-of-riverpowerfacilitywhich,whilegeneratingcleanelectricity,hadnowayofstoringit.TheHARPsystemfeaturesenergystoragetechnologiestostoreenergyfromtherun-of-riverpowerfacility,reducingthedependenceondieselgenerators.GE’smicrogridcontrollerautomaticallyrespondstochangesinsupplyanddemand–ensuringenergyismanagedefficiently.Theresultisacleaner,smarter,moreefficientpowergenerationsystemandcommunity.

“ThisprojectisagreatexampleofhowwecanuseinnovationandtechnologytostrengthenB.C.’scleanenergyfuture,”saidBillBennett,MinisterofEnergy,MinesandPetroleumResources.”ThankstoBCHydro’scommitmenttohelpingremotecommunitiesacquirecleanpowerandBellaCoola’scommitmenttoanefficientsupplyofelectricity,wearesettinganexamplefortherestofthecountry.”

“GE’ssmartgridtechnologiesaredesignedtohelpsolvetheworld’stoughestenergychallenges,”saidLarrySollecito,vicepresident,smartgridforGE’sDigitalEnergybusiness.“WithourmicrogridcontrolsolutionpoweringtheHARPsystem,we’reabletomakesustainabilityareality.

WeapplaudBellaCoolaforembracinginnovationandbeingamodelforremotecommunitiesaroundtheglobe.”

"Powertech'sexpertiseinthecleantechnologyindustryhasbeeninstrumentalindevelopingtheHARPenergystoragesystemfortheBellaCoolademonstrationproject,"saidDaveCobb,PresidentandCEOofBCHydro."ThisprojectisjustoneexampleofthetestingandmeasuringcapabilitiesavailablethroughPowertech'shighlyqualifiedteamofengineersandtechnicalexperts.ItisthroughthesetypesofbusinessandcommunitypartnershipsthatcleanenergysolutionsaremadepossibleinB.C."

“ThisprojectcouldhaveasignificantimpactontheeverydaylivesofCanadianswholiveinremotecommunities,”saidSDTCpresidentandCEOVickyJ.Sharpe.“Byusingcleantechnologiesandamicrogridinsteadofdiesel-poweredgenerators,communitiessuchasBellaCoolawillbealotlessdependentonfossilfuels,thereforegreatlyreducingboththeirgreenhousegasemissionsandtheirenergycosts.”

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Formoreinformation:

BCHydro

SimiHeer

MediaRelations

(604)623-3963

GEEnergy

BrittonCronin

Communications

(972)701-5452

PowertechLabs

MikeKrafczyk

MarketingManager

(604)590-6606

SDTC

PatBreton

Director,Communications

(613)234-6313ext.295

AboutBCHydro:

Acrowncorporation,BCHydroreportstotheB.C.MinistryofEnergy,MinesandPetroleumResources.ItisthethirdlargestelectricutilityinCanadaandservescustomersinanareacontainingover94percentofBritishColumbia'spopulation.BCHydroendeavourstoprovideenergysolutionstoitscustomersinanenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsiblewaybybalancingBritishColumbians'energyneedswiththeconcernsoftheenvironment.

AboutPowertech:

Powertech,BCHydro’ssubsidiaryspecializingincleanenergyconsulting,testing,andpowersolutions,hasbeenservingelectrical,oilandgascompanies,automotiveandelectricalequipmentmanufacturerssince1989bymeetingthecomplexandchangingneedsofourcustomersaroundtheworld.PowertechisatrueB.C.-basedhightechnologysuccessstory,leveragingourprovince’sleadershipanduniqueexpertiseincleanenergysolutionsforclientsaroundtheworld.

AboutGE:

GE(NYSE:GE)isadiversifiedinfrastructure,financeandmediacompanytakingontheworld’stoughestchallenges.Fromaircraftenginesandpowergenerationtofinancialservices,healthcaresolutionsandtelevisionprogramming,GEoperatesinmorethan100countriesandemploysabout300,000peopleworldwide.Formoreinformation,visitthecompany'swebsiteat

.GEservestheenergysectorbydevelopinganddeployingtechnologythathelpsmakeefficientuseofnaturalresources.Withnearly85,000globalemployeesand2009revenuesof$37billion,GEEnergy/energyisoneoftheworld’sleadingsuppliersofpowergenerationandenergydeliverytechnologies.ThebusinessesthatcompriseGEEnergy—GEPower&Water,GEEnergyServicesandGEOil&Gas—worktogethertoprovideintegratedproductandservicesolutionsinallareasoftheenergyindustryincludingcoal,oil,naturalgasandnuclearenergy;renewableresourcessuchaswater,wind,solarandbiogas;andotheralternativefuels.

AboutSDTC:

SustainableDevelopmentTechnologyCanada(SDTC)isanarm’s-lengthfoundationwhichhasreceived$1.05billionfromtheGovernmentofCanadaaspartofitscommitmenttocreateahealthyenviro