How Site C will turn northern B.C. into an economic powerhouse.

The provincial government's decision to proceed with the Site C clean-energy project will provide significant opportunities and economic benefits to northern British Columbia.

Site C will result in 7,650 person-years of employment during the construction phase and will produce 35,000 direct and indirect jobs during the life of the project. That means numerous opportunities, large and small, for northern communities and first nations.

Northern B.C. has an opportunity to be a global leader in the development of energy in all its forms, from gas to forest-based bio-energy to clean renewable power. Site C will be an important part of our portfolio of energy resources, and it will expand our province's ability to provide a reliable backup to renewable new intermittent energy sources, such as wind, run-of-river, and solar.

Site C also enhances B.C.'s chances of additional value-added manufacturing opportunities as the world contemplates using green power sources to build other green energy solutions such as photo-voltaic (solar) cell production. Prince George is well positioned to take advantage of such opportunities, especially in light of the recent 2010 KPMG Competitive Alternatives study that ranked Prince George first among 13 Pacific Northwest cities examined on 26 key factors of cost-competitiveness.

The immediate impact of Site C construction, though, will be jobs for a region that has experienced challenging times. In fact, the project will provide significant opportunities in supply and service businesses already engaged in the forest, mining and gas sectors. New jobs will also result in benefits for other service businesses such as retail, restaurants, and hotels.

The need for energy in British Columbia is expected to increase by as much as 40 per cent in the next 20 years. Even though BC Hydro is planning to meet more than half of British Columbia's expected electricity needs through conservation, that won't be enough, and new sources of clean power need to be brought on line.

Site C is a critical part of the solution to provide clean and renewable power for our province's future. Site C also fits well with Prince George's aspiration to build itself and northern British Columbia as a knowledge-based, resource economy connected to the world.

Tim McEwan is president and chief executive officer of Initiatives Prince George Development Corporation.