The Kwadacha First Nation is receiving $486,000 in provincial funding to install a 100-kilowatt solar panel array at the community school in Fort Ware.
The province says the solar installation will help the community meet its electricity demands and reduce pollution by displacing 87 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.
Kwadacha is in the far northwest corner of the Peace River Regional District, and one of two remote First Nations on the north end of Williston Lake and the Finlay River. Kwadacha Chief Darryl McCook said renewable energy is the way of the future.
"I'm excited about this opportunity," McCook said in a statement. "This project fits perfectly with Kwadacha's vision of becoming energy self-sufficient in a green and sustainable way.”
“This project allows Kwadacha for the first time to see and use this technology,” he continued. “Having this project tied to the school will give the children of Kwadacha a better understanding of solar power and its possible uses in the future."
The estimated cost of the project is $496,000.
Provincial funding is coming from the Renewable Energy for Remote Communities program, which supports remote communities in B.C. that are not connected to the province's electrical grid and rely on diesel power generation stations, the province said.
"By building partnerships and creating opportunities with Indigenous communities and businesses, we can help remote communities get off diesel and benefit from more efficient, healthier and cleaner fuel sources,” said Energy Minister Bruce Ralston.
Email Managing Editor Matt Preprost at editor@ahnfsj.ca
