Vancouver, Canada - The British Columbia Department of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, is calling for applications to the province’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund.  The ICE Fund was created as part of the BC Energy Plan with the intent to attract new energy technologies to help solve energy and environmental issues.

The Innovative Clean Energy Fund’s Call for Applications supports pre-commercial energy technology that is new, or commercial technologies not currently used in B.C.

The following three priorities form the foundation for the Call for Applications for the ICE Fund:

1. Energy Production: The fund will increase British Columbia’s production of clean or renewable energy.

British Columbia’s robust economy and growing population has increased the demand for energy. The province is now dependent on other jurisdictions for meeting up to 10 per cent of its annual electricity requirements.

2. Energy Transmission: The fund will improve the ways energy moves from producers to British Columbia consumers. An important part of meeting the goal of self sufficiency is ensuring a reliable transmission infrastructure is in place. Investment and innovation are required to maintain and expand existing infrastructure to meet growing domestic and export demands, promote energy security and reliability, and develop new energy resources.

3. Energy Use: The fund will improve the ways energy is used in British Columbia’s communities and across all sectors of the provincial economy. Energy efficiency and conservation technologies are required to maintain the province’s energy security and address rising energy demand while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

Monies for the Innovative Clean Energy Fund come from a 0.4 per cent levy on sales of electricity, natural gas, grid propane and fuel oil that are non-transportation related. Levy collection started on Sept. 1, 2007. It will take about one year to collect $25 million for the fund.

The following are eligible to apply to the Fund:

• Local governments (municipalities and regional districts)
• School boards
• Hospitals
• First Nations
• Not-for-profit societies that are registered under the Society Act
• Post secondary institutions
• Crown Corporations
• Public Utilities
• Companies registered under the Business Corporations Act, or BC companies registered under the Canada Business Corporations Act.

The closing date for applying to the ICE Fund is Mar. 3, 2008.  More information can be found on the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources website.

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For More Information: BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resourc