The B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF) is flagging major risks over the K2 Wind Energy Project, a large-scale wind farm proposed for the Pennask Mountain area west of Peachland.
The project, co-developed by Westbank First Nation (WFN) and Innergex Renewable Energy, was one of nine wind projects awarded 30-year power purchase agreements by BC Hydro in December 2024. The project will be located on WFN land. All nine projects were exempted from the province’s standard environmental assessment process to expedite development.
B.C.'s Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix justified the lack of assessments with the urgent need to take action to mitigate the impact of climate change on communities.
"We need urgent action on climate change -- this is urgent action on climate change," Dix said when the projects were awarded. "Clean energy projects built in partnership with the First Nations are in fact environmental projects.”
WFN Chief Robert Louie also said at that time that the development "respects and incorporates traditional ecological knowledge, ensuring that cultural values remain integral to its planning and implementation."
The BCWF argues that the province’s approach neglects critical environmental safeguards. The K2 project site lies within the Pennask watershed, home to the world’s largest known run of wild rainbow trout, it stated in a media release. These trout have been the primary source for B.C.'s hatchery system since 1927, supporting the stocking of approximately 150 lakes across the province.
BCWF Executive Director, Jesse Zeman, highlighted the need for a thorough environmental review.
“It is essential that test excavations and a full environmental review be conducted before this project breaks ground,” he added.
Zeman referenced a study commissioned by a local fish and game club that warned of significant risks to the watershed's habitat and trout populations due to potential metal leaching and acid rock drainage. The report was not cited in the BCWF release.
The BCWF also points to historical precedent. In the late 1980s, construction of Highway 97C, near the same area as the proposed wind farm, led to acid rock drainage and metal leaching, causing long-term environmental damage. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation was prosecuted under the Fisheries Act, and remediation efforts have cost taxpayers millions over the years. The ministry has since constructed a water treatment facility to treat the affected water.
Construction on the K2 Wind Energy Project is slated to begin in 2028. It's expected the project will provide enough electricity for approximately 50,000 homes.
More information about the project is available on the WFN and provincial government websites.
With files from Jacqueline Gelineau
