About the CEP

What is a Community Electricity Plan?
A Community Electricity Plan (CEP) addresses both the supply and the use of electricity. It identifies ways to conserve electricity and use it efficiently, and recommends options for the supply of electricity. The Plan for the islands will be developed with input from the island community and will include residents’ expressed values and goals.

Why do we need one?
Some of the diesel generators that supply electricity to Haida Gwaii communities are nearing the end of their useful life and will soon need to be replaced. Residents have indicated to BC Hydro that they are interested in exploring alternative options for electricity supply.

Sources of electricity will be identified and evaluated in the CEP. For example, alternatives such as wind generation, small hydro or biomass projects that may be able to reduce the use of the current diesel generators, will be explored. Options for conserving electricity will also be investigated and included in the CEP.

Objectives of the CEP
The objectives of the CEP are to:

• Identify technically and financially feasible options for power generation and electricity distribution on Haida Gwaii that meet residents’ needs and reflect their expressed values and goals;
• Involve the island community in the planning process, ensuring a sense of ownership of the CEP; and
• Inform BC Hydro’s future plans for electricity generation procurement, conservation efforts, and distribution on the islands.

The Technical Program
The CEP process consists of two components that are developed, and will proceed, concurrently – the technical assessment, and the public involvement program. On the technical side, data are collected to provide an assessment of:

• Current electricity demand on the islands;
• Demand reduction options (energy efficiency and Power Smart options);
• Future electricity demand forecasts and scenarios; and
• Feasible supply side (generation) alternatives.

Finally, bundles of demand reduction options and electricity supply options will be created, and the results, including public input about these bundles, will be incorporated into an overall Plan.

Island residents will have several opportunities to provide input into the various stages of the technical assessment. A Standing Technical Committee consisting of residents and key BC Hydro personnel will also be formed to work with the consultant team and provide input on specific technical issues.

The Public Involvement Program
The Public Involvement Program constitutes an integral part of the CEP process. A main objective of this part of the CEP is to involve the island community in the planning process and incorporate residents’ objectives and values into the CEP. To this end, there will be public meetings and other opportunities for island residents to provide input into the plan.

A Working Group was established to advise the consultant team and the Council of the Haida Nation on issues related to process and planning. The Working Group will develop recommendations for the consultant team using a consensus-based approach to decision making. The consultant team will meet regularly with the Working Group as part of the Public Involvement Program. Meetings with residents of the island community will also be held at key stages, as the Plan develops.

The CEP Working Group
The Working Group is composed of elected officials from the various island communities, and representatives from the Haida Hereditary Chiefs, BC Hydro and the Council of the Haida Nation. A representative of the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources sits on the Working Group ex-officio.

The role of the Working Group is two-fold:

• To be involved in the technical component of the planning process and to provide input on community growth scenarios, criteria for evaluating demand side management and supply options, preferred options and implementation strategies, and
• To advise the consultant team on process and planning issues such as providing ideas on ways to involve their constituents in the development of the CEP.

The Working Group met with the consultant team on December 6, 2006 in Skidegate, to kick off the project. At least three additional meetings with this group are planned as the CEP is developed.