Meikle Wind EnergyPO Box 1060, Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

The 179 megawatt (MW) Meikle Wind facility is located approximately 33 km north of Tumbler Ridge in the Peace Region and generates enough clean, renewable energy to power 54,000 British Columbian homes.  Over the course of its 25-year power purchase agreement with BC Hydro, Meikle Wind will contribute more than $70 million dollars in payments for property taxes, the Crown lease, Wind Participation Rent, and community benefits.  Meikle Wind achieved commercial operation in January 2017 as the largest wind facility in British Columbia, and the renewable energy it provides helps meet the provincial government’s clean energy objectives.  Located on Provincial Crown Lands and within the traditional territory of Treaty 8 First Nations, Meikle Wind was designed and planned with input from the Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd and First Nations communities, whose involvement and support throughout development were fundamental to the project’s success.

The benefits of wind energy include:

• Reliable, cost-effective electricity from a clean, renewable and inexhaustible resource
• Reduced reliance on new large hydro power and imported electricity
• Reduced emissions of carbon dioxide, which helps fight climate change
• Compatibility with other land uses, including forestry, oil and gas, agriculture, and hunting
• Significant economic benefits, including job creation, steady income for landowners, and increased revenue for the government, which can help improve services like schools, police and fire departments