CPC

Castlegar – Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust are pleased to announce that the Brilliant Expansion Project near Castlegar is now on-line and generating power.

The new powerhouse is located immediately downstream of the existing 145 MW Brilliant Dam, which was purchased by the joint venture partners in 1996. Construction of the new powerhouse began in 2003 and has a generating capacity of 120 MW—enough power to supply 50,000 homes.

“The Brilliant Expansion Project supports the BC Energy Plan and the goal to make BC electricity self sufficient by 2016,” said the Honourable Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “The Brilliant Project helps ensure clean electricity generation continues to account for 90 per cent of the Province’s total generation.”

“We are pleased that this project has come on-line,” said Barry Chuddy, President and CEO of Columbia Power Corporation. “The construction of this second powerhouse at Brilliant maximizes power production by utilizing water that would otherwise be spilled over the dam. This will also reduce harmful dissolved gases in the water below the dam, which in turn helps reduce fish mortality and permits classification of the power generated as clean, green energy,” said Chuddy.

“Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Power Corporation are extremely proud of this new facility, as it is a testament to the skill and knowledge of local workers, who made up 85 per cent of the workforce during construction,” said Neil Muth, CEO of Columbia Basin Trust. “In addition to being a green project, this new facility ensures a source of long-term income for residents of the Basin,” said Muth.

The completion of the Brilliant Expansion Project concludes the second of three major hydro-electric projects being undertaken by the Partners. The 185 MW Arrow Lakes Generating Station was completed in 2002 and planning for the proposed Waneta Expansion Project near Trail is currently underway.

The power generated by the Brilliant Expansion Project will be sold to BC Hydro under two contracts entered into as a result of BC Hydro’s recent requests for proposals for new power.

“We are pleased to be the purchasers of cost-effective power from the new facility. This clean, green energy will assist BC Hydro in meeting its future load requirements and meeting BC’s Energy Plan objectives,” said Bob Elton, President and CEO of BC Hydro.

A grand opening community event to celebrate the new power plant is being planned for the spring of 2008.

To find out more information about Columbia Power Corporation, please visit: www.columbiapower.org. For information on Columbia Basin Trust, visit: www.cbt.org.

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Audrey Repin
Director of Communications and Community Relations
Columbia Power Corporation
Ph. (250) 365-8585 or Cell (250) 365-9502