The community of Skatin is located on the east side of the Lillooet River, 28 km south of the outlet of Lillooet Lake and near the T’sek Hot Spring which is proudly owned and maintained by the community.
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A waterfall known as SkookumChuck Rapids, a very well-known and rich fishing area, is also close by. For these reasons and many others, Skatin is a cultural hub for local area and actively works to propel economic development, land utilization, and community services with a clear focus on the overall wellness of its residents. The Skatin First Nations are a band government of the In-SHUCK-ch Nation.
The general guiding vision for the community’s future was discussed and the community’s subsequent energy values were identified: AWARENESS: Creating a general awareness of how energy is used in the community is important, each community member should have an “energy conscience” that helps them when making energy-related choices. SAFETY: Specifically related to the safety of community homes, energy systems and infrastructure, there should be an understanding of how to identify hazards and processes in place to swiftly correct them. RESILIENCE: To be resilient in all areas of living is a core community value which also relates to energy; community members should have access to the resources and knowledge that allows them to maintain a high quality of life even in the face of environmental and financial challenges.
Community Energy Goals The community has a number of goals related to infrastructure expansion such as plans for new home construction, a new firehall, water pumping system, and waste diversion strategy; while these don’t fall under the scope of work of this document, these plans highlight the importance of energy-related improvements in the community. Building on the above energy values, the community identified the following energy goals and corresponding targets: INCREASED CAPACITY: Have internal training programs for members within the community who are interested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy management. MORE AFFORDABLE ENERGY: Reduce energy bills through increased energy efficiency in both new and existing homes. MORE RELIABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS: Reduce power outages by implementing new sources of energy such as renewable systems that function to improve energy reliability in the community. IMPROVED SAFETY: Have internal processes and procedures in place to ensure regular preventative and corrective maintenance on buildings and energy systems to reduce the risk of potential safety hazards.
COMMUNITY ENERGY MANAGEMENT PLAN: In early 2019, the community of Skatin commissioned Community Power to complete an Energy Management Plan (EMP) for the purpose of identifying energy-related needs in the community and developing an actionable plan to see those needs met.
The goal of the Energy Management Plan (EMP) is to support the community of Skatin in managing the multiple facets of their energy provision and consumption systems in a holistic and integrated way. Community Power’s energy management planning process involves: