New Job opportunities for BC
Sustainable Energy Solutions for B.C.

A contribution by the BC Sustainable Energy Association
to the Alternative Energy & Power Technology Task Force

Executive Summary

Our analysis shows that BC has the potential to generate 84,250 GWh of sustainable, renewable energy (including efficiency savings) by various means, and to create over 400 ,000 temporary and permanent jobs involving smart power and smart end use over the next 30 years, including 25,000 GWh and 145,000 jobs from province-wide energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits.

In the pages below, we first describe three drivers of a sustainable energy economy, both globally and for BC: (1) global climate change; (2) the imminent shortage of global oil supplies as demand outpaces production; and (3) the imminent shortage of first North American and then global natural gas supplies, as demand outpaces production. These three drivers will require changes to at least 90% of the energy that powers the global economy. If BC makes this transition first, it will be in a position to be a global hub for one of the largest market opportunities in history.

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For the full BCSEA report, click here

Here is opportunity for many of the towns along the Fraser River! In a few years, we face job losses in the forest industry due to the pine bettle infestation. We must create new industry to replace those high-paying industrial jobs.

We have an abundance of an increasingly valuable commodity. I think we should harvest it locally and sell it in the international market. To do that, we must build a plant and harvesters using construction people, fab-welders, millwrights, engineers, and electricians. To operate, we will need highly trained technicians on a 24/7 basis as well as repair welders, millwrights and electricians.

What is this valuable commodity? It is a lot of fast-flowing hydro-energy flowing right past our door in the Fraser River. I’m not talking about building a dam or restricting fish migrations; what I’d like to see is small, (36” X 40”) Gorlov Water Turbines mounted vertically or horizontally (it makes no difference) in the Fraser, a whole “Farm” of them producing electricity. We can connect to the grid, and thru BC Hydro, sell to the highest bidder for power. Below, I’ve posted links for more information:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0517-05.htm

http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/05spr/gorlov1.asp