Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia

Indigenous peoples are increasingly using renewable energy technologies to meet a variety of objectives. In so-called Canada, there has been a dramatic rise in Indigenous renewable energy projects due to economic, environmental, and legal trends. Nowhere are these trends more evident than in the pro...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fitzgerald, Eryn
Other Authors: Shaw, Karena
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/10475
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spelling ftuvicpubl:oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/10475 2023-05-15T16:15:09+02:00 Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia Fitzgerald, Eryn Shaw, Karena 2018 application/pdf https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/10475 English en eng https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/10475 Available to the World Wide Web First Nations Indigenous Power Producers British Columbia Renewable Energy Energy Policy Privatization Clean Energy Thesis 2018 ftuvicpubl 2022-05-19T06:12:23Z Indigenous peoples are increasingly using renewable energy technologies to meet a variety of objectives. In so-called Canada, there has been a dramatic rise in Indigenous renewable energy projects due to economic, environmental, and legal trends. Nowhere are these trends more evident than in the province of British Columbia (BC). In the early 2000s, the colonial government privatized the electricity system, sparking a rapid expansion of run of river hydro projects on Indigenous lands. Over time, and with much effort, First Nations in BC began to participate in and ultimately benefit from the shift to independent power production. However, just as they increased their involvement in the renewable energy sector, the government withdrew its commitment to purchase private power for the foreseeable future. One way to understand the implications of this policy reversal is to examine it through the lens of energy justice. Using a justice framework, this research explores how First Nations are involved in renewable energy developments in BC as well as the significance of this involvement for Indigenous self-determination. Drawing from two case studies and survey data from First Nations across the province, this thesis argues that the decline in power procurement programs is not simply a barrier but an injustice. I first illustrate how provincial energy policies have shaped and been shaped by Indigenous renewable energy ambitions. While First Nations were not the intended beneficiaries of these policies, they nonetheless seized the opportunity to sell electricity to the grid. I also compare the approaches of two Indigenous power producers, Kanaka Bar Indian Band and Sts’ailes First Nation, arguing that they have generated important economic benefits by strategically navigating the private power industry. Lastly, I document how members of Kanaka Bar have leveraged the Kwoiek Creek hydro project to address the adverse impacts of colonization and further their aims of self-determination. Based on these findings, I conclude ... Thesis First Nations University of Victoria (Canada): UVicDSpace British Columbia ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) Canada Indian
institution Open Polar
collection University of Victoria (Canada): UVicDSpace
op_collection_id ftuvicpubl
language English
topic First Nations
Indigenous Power Producers
British Columbia
Renewable Energy
Energy Policy
Privatization
Clean Energy
spellingShingle First Nations
Indigenous Power Producers
British Columbia
Renewable Energy
Energy Policy
Privatization
Clean Energy
Fitzgerald, Eryn
Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia
topic_facet First Nations
Indigenous Power Producers
British Columbia
Renewable Energy
Energy Policy
Privatization
Clean Energy
description Indigenous peoples are increasingly using renewable energy technologies to meet a variety of objectives. In so-called Canada, there has been a dramatic rise in Indigenous renewable energy projects due to economic, environmental, and legal trends. Nowhere are these trends more evident than in the province of British Columbia (BC). In the early 2000s, the colonial government privatized the electricity system, sparking a rapid expansion of run of river hydro projects on Indigenous lands. Over time, and with much effort, First Nations in BC began to participate in and ultimately benefit from the shift to independent power production. However, just as they increased their involvement in the renewable energy sector, the government withdrew its commitment to purchase private power for the foreseeable future. One way to understand the implications of this policy reversal is to examine it through the lens of energy justice. Using a justice framework, this research explores how First Nations are involved in renewable energy developments in BC as well as the significance of this involvement for Indigenous self-determination. Drawing from two case studies and survey data from First Nations across the province, this thesis argues that the decline in power procurement programs is not simply a barrier but an injustice. I first illustrate how provincial energy policies have shaped and been shaped by Indigenous renewable energy ambitions. While First Nations were not the intended beneficiaries of these policies, they nonetheless seized the opportunity to sell electricity to the grid. I also compare the approaches of two Indigenous power producers, Kanaka Bar Indian Band and Sts’ailes First Nation, arguing that they have generated important economic benefits by strategically navigating the private power industry. Lastly, I document how members of Kanaka Bar have leveraged the Kwoiek Creek hydro project to address the adverse impacts of colonization and further their aims of self-determination. Based on these findings, I conclude ...
author2 Shaw, Karena
format Thesis
author Fitzgerald, Eryn
author_facet Fitzgerald, Eryn
author_sort Fitzgerald, Eryn
title Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia
title_short Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia
title_full Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia
title_fullStr Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia
title_full_unstemmed Powering self-determination: Indigenous renewable energy developments in British Columbia
title_sort powering self-determination: indigenous renewable energy developments in british columbia
publishDate 2018
url https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/10475
long_lat ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000)
geographic British Columbia
Canada
Indian
geographic_facet British Columbia
Canada
Indian
genre First Nations
genre_facet First Nations
op_relation https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/10475
op_rights Available to the World Wide Web
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