Waterfront Landing could be a launch pad for the creation of a new local energy utility.On Tuesday (May 27) District of Squamish council looked at ways local geography could be harnessed to build an energy system that distributes hot water, space heat and in some cases, cooling to entire neighbourhoods. "There is a lot of possibility," said planner Sabina FooFat, adding that district energy has the potential to bring more economic and environmental stability to Squamish.Holland Barrs consultant Alex Boston and Compass planner Taylor Zegg led the Community Energy Action Plan workshop. They pointed out ways the current building boom could be used to usher in more environmentally friendly technology while avoiding the high costs of retrofitting."The infrastructure that you'd be putting in the ground is quite expensive," said Zegg. "New development makes infrastructure costs more effective."District energy could rely on a number of energy sources including geothermal, heat from waste treatment plants, ocean loop heat recovery and biomass combustion. Similar systems are already in place in parts of North Vancouver and Whistler.Regardless of the energy source, the proposed system would function by running insulated pipes of hot water through high-density neighbourhoods with a mixture of commercial and residential. The hot pipes could provide services such as radiant-in floor heating, reducing the need for electric baseboard heaters.If the district chose to operate and own the service, money from energy bills would go back to the community rather than an outside business.But owning the system would mean coming up with the funds to create and operate it. An engineering and economic analysis along would cost the district more than $100,000, Zegg estimated. Chief Administrative Officer Kim Anema said whether the money came from reserves or the operating budget it would ultimately be paid for by taxpayers. Boston said companies like Terasen Gas are "salivating at the opportunity" to operate the system, which would alleviate taxpayers but also count the community out of a potential revenue stream.While the energy system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions it could also improve utility bills for residents. Fluctuating gas prices could be offset by a steady district service, Zegg said."Having the majority of your energy provided by alternatives can flatline that volatility."However, Zegg did not seem completely convinced by the potential of Waterfront Landing for a district energy system."We feel that this is a good site, it at least warrants further study," he said. "We're not guaranteeing economics here."One of the major challenges is the lagoon slated to run through the centre of the peninsula. "Usually you have very centralized development," he said. "In this case, you may not be able to distribute across the lagoon."Council unanimously passed a motion authorizing staff to move ahead with discussions involving real estate developers, utilities, and other interested parties to look further into the technology and see what funding opportunities exist. "I think we could find funding if we had to," said Coun. Corinne Lonsdale. During the same meeting, council also opted not to apply to become a pilot city for solar power with Solar BC, deciding the costs would likely outweigh the savings of the technology.
