B.C. selects 9 wind power projects to boost energy supply by 8 per cent a year [Video]

British Columbia has given the green light to nine wind energy projects to help power the province’s economy and light up 500,000 homes, Premier David Eby said Monday.

BC Hydro, the province’s Crown utility, selected the wind power projects following a strong response to its call for new renewable power-generation operations, he said at a news conference.

The development and construction will generate between $5 billion and $6 billion in private spending on the projects, four of which will be located in the B.C. Interior, four in the North and one on Vancouver Island, said Eby.

“We need more electricity,” Eby said, adding the prospect of more people, more jobs and more companies in B.C. will mean an increased need for clean, renewable energy.

“We also want companies to switch away from polluting fuels that can add to climate change,” he said. “To put it all together, we need a …