Northeastern BC's extraordinary wind resource

Wind energy is the world's cleanest source of electricity. It's renewable. It produces no greenhouse gas emissions or waste products. It requires no drilling, mining or refining. Along the flat-topped foothills that parallel the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains, northeastern BC is a source of wind energy like few others on earth. Integrated with the region's vast hydro reservoirs, wind energy will drive economic growth in BC for years to come.

Artist rendering of a section of Hackney Hills with turbines installed

Aeolis Wind — BC's preeminent wind developer

Aeolis has long-term leases for a number of prime wind park sites in northeastern BC, on which we have an extensive network of data collection and monitoring towers. Our Victoria head office monitors data from these sites in real time and analyzes it with state-of-the-art software. We are currently developing two wind park sites in the region with a total potential generating capacity of 1,900 MW. Aeolis demonstrated its in-house technical and project expertise in leading development of BC's first wind project: the 102 MW Bear Mountain Wind Park near the town of Dawson Creek. Bear Mountain began commercial production in November 2009—on time and on budget.

Thunder Mountain — Aeolis' crown jewel

The Thunder Mountain Wind Project lies some 45 km from the northeastern community of Tumbler Ridge. Aeolis has independently verified four years of site wind data, wind resource studies and analysis that peg its generating capacity at 1,400 MW. The first stage of the project received environmental assessment certification in December 2009 and is ready to proceed to construction.

As with real estate, there are three key factors that determine the merits of a wind park site: location, location, location. The Thunder Mountain Wind Project comprises two long, flat-topped elevated areas that run perpendicular to the prevailing southwest wind. Wind flows across the turbine rows and continues unimpeded into the prairie to the east. The area is traversed with forestry and natural gas exploration roads for easy access. Thunder Mountain is near the WAC Bennett Dam and its 480 km- (300 mile) long reservoir, Williston Lake, BC's largest body of fresh water. Thunder Mountain and the Bennett Dam/ Williston Lake complex are textbook-perfect for the integration of wind and hydro. When the wind blows, wind-generated electricity will replace an equivalent amount of hydro-generated electricity, allowing more water to be stored behind the dam, extending the effective power storage capacity of the entire system. Energy synergy at its finest. One would be hard pressed to find another wind park site anywhere in the world as ideally situated as Thunder Mountain.

Hackney Hills and the Northeast Transmission Line

Located approximately 50 km northwest of the town of Hudson's Hope and the Bennett Dam, the 500 MW Hackney Hills Project has exceptional wind values, which explains why the site is almost treeless. It's also on the logical route of the recently announced Northeast Transmission Line. The BC Government plans to build this line to provide power to the new Horn River Basin shale gas field, one of the largest of its type in North America. Hackney Hills: the right project—at the right time.