" It's great to see local people working together to take some ownership of
the renewable energy sources that are so abundant in the Peace. This is true community-building with a clear and clean vision for the future."

Cees Mond, Pouce Coupe

Membership is growing everyday at the Peace Energy Cooperative and there are a number of benefits to belonging! Click WHAT'S NEW for further information!

      About Peace Energy

The basic concept for Peace Energy Cooperative was conceived early 2002. Two Dawson Creek businessmen with a keen interest in renewable energy and energy conservation, Don Pettit and Paul Kurjata, realized the potential for wind energy in the Peace River Country. The Peace is rich in fossil fuels that are extracted by a handful of giant and mostly multi-national companies. Pettit and Kurjata argued that as a cooperative, Peace Energy can pool resources and expertise from local people who can then actually own some of this this new resource industry in the Peace Region.

Peace Energy started taking memberships in May 2002, With about 80 members signed up, Peace Energy incorporated as a cooperative on Oct. 21, 2003.

As its major project, Peace Energy has its sights set at establishing a wind park on Bear Mountain, nearby Dawson Creek, and identified by BC Hydro as one of the most promising sites in British Columbia to generate power from the wind. Peace Energy secured the right to pursue this wind park in July 2004. Three months later, Peace Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with Aeolis Wind Power Corporation of Sidney, B.C., to partner on the development of Bear Mountain.

Besides the Bear Mountain project, Peace Energy is committed to make renewable energy accessible and affordable for its members in the Peace Region of northern British Columbia and Alberta. This includes wind energy, geothermal heating, solar power, bio fuels, as well as energy conservation methods.

By banding together in Peace Energy Cooperative, northern residents have a way to share in the abundance of renewable energy available in their Peace Region. It also gives them a united voice in lobbying governments to encourage the move to renewable energy.

Membership Associations

Peace Energy Cooperative is a member of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), the    BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA), the BC Cooperative Association (BCCA), the Alberta Community and Cooperative Association (ACCA), the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CANSIA), and the Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce.

Recognition

Peace Energy Cooperative received the 2005 Environment Friendly Award at the Northern BC Business and Industry Trade Show.  The award recognizes a company, organization or individual who has either developed an innovative product or a unique way to help attain or maintain a clean environment.

Peace Energy Cooperative received the 2006 Most Innovative Business of the Year award at the Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce President’s Gala.  The award is given for business contributions to the community relating to the development of innovative measures and growth plans for future contributions to the South Peace region.

2011-2012 Peace Energy Cooperative Board of Directors

President - Fred Feddema bio to follow

Vice-President Trevor Reeves - Trevor Reeves and his wife Trish moved to the Peace River area in 1986 after graduating from veterinary college. They lived in Chetwynd until 1997 when they relocated to Dawson Creek. As owners of the South Peace Animal Hospital, business, and raising two children, has kept them occupied pretty much full time for the last 26 years. Trevor has been a director on the Board of the South Peace Community Resources Society for six years, and has served the last four years as Board Chair.

            In Trevor’s words,’ I joined Peace Energy Co-operative in 2004 because I believed strongly in  

            the need for alternative energy solutions to avert or soften the blow of a coming lack of energy.

            Wind energy was an obvious source to anyone who has been outside in this country.  I   

            believed, and was correct, that having strong local support would enable us to have a

            successful local commercial wind generation project’.

Director and Treasurer William (Bill) Jackson - Bill Jackson was raised on the family farm by his grandparents who taught him to reduce and reuse.  Based on those life values he purchased a passive solar house in the 1980s. Accordingly, when he was approached by early PEC members to join the initial steering committee to set up ‘some organization to create a wind farm’, he was eager to join. That organization was Peace Energy Cooperative! Bill has always been a strong supporter of coops as a method to provide service and maintain control at the local level.

            He has spent the last seven years as a director of the Law Society of British Columbia;    

            Treasurer of various societies and organizations (he’s lost count!) and a board member on  

            many committees. 

Director Robert (Bob) Carter - Bob was raised on a farm in Mannville, Alberta and moved to    Dawson Creek in 1975 where he met and married his wife Tina in 1991. They have five children and two dogs to keep them busy. Bob is well known to many of you throughout the region for his past business ventures and for his involvement in the community. Bob and Tina have been members of Peace Energy Cooperative since November 2008. He is looking forward to working with the Board and members on future developments for the cooperative and welcomes you to join Peace Energy and also become part of the clean energy movement.

           Director Joanne Dueck bio to follow

          Director Ron Moch

Ron was born in Red Deer AB, lived in Dawson Creek throughout his high school years,       moved to Leduc AB for 3 years, Chetwynd for 9 years then made it full circle back to Dawson Creek in 2000. Ron is the second generation owner of Moch Electric which was founded by his parents in 1973, known throughout the community for their generosity in

“giving back”. They were honoured by the Dawson Creek Athletic Association by receiving the 2010 Brian McPherson Memorial Trophy for their generosity and community involvement. He has been married for 20 years and they have two grown children. In the past, Ron was

a member of Rotary International and was also president of the Chetwynd club.  Ron joined PEC as a member 3 years ago after the Bear Mountain Wind Park development inspired

him to take action and support the development of renewable energy. Ron says he’s proud

to be part of Peace Energy Cooperative and is learning lots, we feel fortunate to have him

on our board!

Director Don Pettit - Don has been living in the Dawson Creek area since 1974. He is a creative and commercial photographer and video producer, born, raised and trained in southern Ontario. Don moved north for a more rural lifestyle and for greater access to the outdoors, much of his creative work being focused on nature photography.

           Don has published several books of his photographs, most recently “Power Shift” a book    

           about the creation of Bear Mountain Wind Park, and a companion video by the same name.    

           Don is an active environmentalist, and received the BC Minister’s Environmental Award in   

           1999. He was one of the founding members of Peace Energy Cooperative, and has been       

           active in the organization ever since, specializing in marketing and communication. Don

           and his wife Barbara Swail live just outside of Dawson Creek in a unique home that   

           incorporates many aspects of sustainable living, including PV power.

Executive Director Nicola Peacey - Nicola is very pleased and excited to be joining Peace Energy Cooperative as the Executive Driector and also as a new member. She grew up in Victoria and spent the majority of her life living on the west coast of BC. She moved to Dawson Creek two years  ago, to follow her husband who had taken a postion working for Northern Lights College.

Her career background is in retail management, however, for the last 18 months she was working in the solid waste reduction field. This experience in the communities throughout the Peace River Regional District introduced her to the northern way of life.

Her personal passion stems from her belief in leaving the world better than you found it taking no more than you need, trying not to harm the environment and making amends when you do.

She is looking forward to learning more about the members and their passions that, combined, make Peace Energy Cooperative such a unique group.

Valerie V. Gilson

Executive Director Pro Tem

Resources and Relations Consultant

Valerie moved from Ontario to Dawson Creek in 2006 and was Executive Director, from 2006 - 2011. Leaving BC to return to Ontario in the summer of 2011, PEC was fortunate to retain Valerie as a contract consultant (and member!). Valerie returned to PEC in November 2011 as Executive Director Pro Tem and will be with us until April of 2012.

Valerie brought a strong administration and business background to Peace Energy, as well as past renewable energy experience in geothermal and small solar. She sat on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Earth Energy Association (CEEA)/Earth Energy Society of Canada (EESC) in the late 1990s and early 2000s.