During the summer months, the windsurfers and kite boarders know how reliable the strong moving air is around Squamish.
Most days in the warm months, the daily inflow winds kick in once the heating action of the morning sun warms the land. When the land temperature surpasses the water temperature, Mother Nature pushes strong air currents from the water onto the land.
It is that consistent and reliable breeze that makes Squamish a favourite destination for sail boarders. Now the District of Squamish (DOS) wants to work with a wind energy producer to tap the air movements that recreationalists discovered decades ago.
Wind energy technology is advanced and gone are the days of massive and unattractive wind turbine fields that pose a danger to birds and people.
The most successful companies now build units that produce more electricity with less wind.
The DOS is taking a proactive approach to entering the wind energy industry. A request for proposals (RFP) was released today (Jan. 23). The RFP calls on wind industry players to set up a wind turbine demonstration unit so for a period of one year Squamish can test its appropriateness as a location for wind produced electricity.
The RFP sets out a number of goals for the project that the selected contractor will be expected to achieve. The goals include the writing of a business plan centred on establishing a wind generation project and how to manage, sell and utilize the power created. A public information and consultation process must be part of the project.
"The integration of new economic sectors like alternative energy will achieve a variety of associated goals, including diversification, technology clustering, job creation and environmental sustainability," District Economic Development Officer Lee Malleau wrote in the RFP document.
"The result will be a revitalized, dynamic and energetic region that has levered strategic partnerships with government and the private sector."
The federal government is backing Squamish's move by granting $160,000 from the Western Economic Development fund.
The money will be used to pay for the research being done before Squamish gets fully into the wind energy sector.
Companies interested in responding to the RFP have to register with the DOS by Jan. 30 and submissions must be submitted to the district by Feb. 6.
At least two companies are on record as being interested in Squamish. Westtech Energy of Kelowna wants to go a step beyond simply setting up a demonstration project. Company president Rick West told The Chief that he is looking into locating a manufacturing facility in Squamish so his company can make the components needed to tap wind energy and sell the technology overseas.
Minutes from the Dec. 4 meeting of the Select Committee on Business Retention and Expansion show that members of the committee were given an update on discussions held with Sea Breeze Corporation in regards to the issue of alternate energy.
Sea Breeze Power Corp. is a public company based in Vancouver. The company's stock is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.
According to the company website, Sea Breeze is working to develop wind projects on the northeast end of Vancouver Island, at Roberts Bank and at Sturgeon Bank.
