A company is looking at securing a five-year investigative license to assess the potential for development of a solar energy project in a few areas close to Cranbrook.
The RDEK lent their support to an application by Innergex Solar Energy Inc to look at the potential of a solar project on properties out near Mayook, Elko and Skookumchuk.
According to the company's investigative plan, the goal is to asses the environmental and socio-economic feasibility of solar powered projects.
If the investigation yields favourable results, the proposed project will consist of solar panels, access roads, a switchyard and a transmission line to the point of interconnection with the BC Hydro electricity grid.
According to a letter submitted by the company to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, the intent is to eventually submit the projects into a future BC Hydro call for tenders to provide power.
"Innergex is interested in the area near Kimberley/Cranbrook due to the solar irradiation potential in this area," reads the letter. "We have recently identified 5 potential solar project sites on Crown land in this area and submitted Investigative Licence tenure applications to the Province."
The letter addresses a hypothetical example that the maximum project capacity that can be done for a BC Hydro program is 15 MW, which would carry a footprint of roughly 40 hectares.