Western Tidal Holdings, based in Vancouver, has applied for permits to gather and examine information on the viability of sites in Dodd Narrows and nearby Porlier Pass, between Valdez and Galiano islands, in order to develop tidal power projects.
The applications have been submitted to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, but it takes a couple of years to get a permit for site investigation, while power generation could be expected in a permitting phase five years later, Nanaimo Daily News reports.
According to a study undertaken in 2008, the coast of British Columbia has an energy potential of 4,000MW, which can supply 4 million households with electricity.
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Offshore WIND Staff, November 26, 2012; Image: Western Tidal Holdings