Guided by Nuxalk knowledge, tradition, and protocol, the Clean Energy Department is committed to energy sovereignty in Nuxalk territory through clean energy projects that enhance quality of life and protect the natural environment.
Biomass Initiative
The Nation is exploring the possibility of a biomass facility to strategically provide heat during the fall winter months and throughout the year as it can be ramped up and down in response to community needs. Biomass refers to non-fossil fuel organic materials such as wood, straw, vegetable oils and wastes from forestry, agriculture and industry. An example of local biomass could be wood waste from the forestry industry or other local businesses such as local mill operations.
Specifically, the Nation is hoping to target our biggest heat loads in the community to create an economically viable alternative for diesel displacement that currently relies on using systems for heating that are heavily dependent on electricity supplied from BC Hydro’s diesel station. If you have any questions about the project, please contact Vince Robinson or Elijah Mecham.
The Nookliklonnik run-of-river hydro power project is a big part of the mission to reduce the Nation’s dependency on diesel generated electricity. Together with our technical partners, Urban Systems, the Nation has been conducting numerous studies to determine if the project is feasible and to discover the potential impacts on fish and wildlife in the area.
While still in its infancy, the project looks promising. Sites have to meet certain criteria to even be considered for such a project, and the team looked at a total of 10 sites before narrowing it to three and eventually settling on Nooklikonnik as the best option.
There are still more studies to be completed and we will update the community as the work progresses. If you have any questions, please contact our office.
Nooklikonnik was identified as the location with the most potential for a variety of reasons. More work remains to be done, but the early results of our studies are promising.
Will this provide jobs for our community members?
If approved, the construction of the project will provide a generous amount of employment for our community members. Upon completion of the project, employment will be more minimal as the project will require a small workforce dedicated solely to operations and management.
Why another hydro project?
Given the abundance of watersheds and accompanying creek flows, hydro power is the most suitable choice for our Valley and the best chance at reducing our diesel consumption.
What is next to move the project along?
There are four main steps to complete before the project becomes a reality and these involve studying certain aspects of the project: hydrology (the collection of data reporting water flows throughout the year), biological (the identification of any potential negative impacts on fish and wildlife and how these might be mitigated), geo-hazards (identification and potential mitigation of any potential natural hazards associated with the area) and archaeological (to determine Nuxalk’s ancestral use of the area and ensure it is respected and conserved).
Hydro Generation / supply estimate
This Graph shows the yearly estimated usage starting in January all the way to December.
The power estimated to be produced by Klonic is in “orange”, which is stacked on the “blue”. The “Blue” is the production of Clayton falls hydro station.
The “Grey” directly above the orange is the diesel that we use here in our community during mainly the winter and moving into the spring until the snow begins to melt.
Nuxalk Energy Empowerment Program
This program looks into electricity usage and management techniques for our community to use at home and for local bushiness’s and community centers to deploy as well.
Additionally the program provides an in-depth look into how the billing process works and what the appropriate channels are to go to for help.
If you are experiencing problems and would like to know more please feel free to call, email, or just drop by the office any time.
If you would like our comprehensive guide for those future moments when you or someone you know is having difficulties please send us an email at “ elijah@nuxalknation.ca or clean.energy@nuxalknation.ca“ or drop by to get a paper copy.
Groundwater is an issue in our Valley and, given our desire to expand our community’s infrastructure, the Nation decided to undertake a groundwater monitoring project. The project consists of drilling well sites at various locations in the community to determine and monitor groundwater levels. Once the data has been collected our partners at Kala Engineering and Urban Systems will help us synthesize and understand the information for future planning initiatives. This data will be invaluable to the Nation as we work to avoid erosion, flood damage, and mitigate possible risks to new and existing infrastructure.
