The mayor of Williams Lake, BC says he’s relieved that the provincial government and province’s power provider have stepped in to stop a local power plant from shutting down. The privately-held Atlantic Power Corporation has operated the Northwest Energy plant in the central BC community since 1993. Provincial utility B.C. Hydro purchases the plant’s power for the grid through 10-year agreements. Atlantic Power’s plant, which employs around 30 people, generates energy by burning biomass — primarily wood waste, fibre from sawmills, and logging debris. But last year, the corporations told BC Hydro that it would shut down the plant in January 2025 as it was no longer profitable, citing a lack of viable fibre supply amid the forest industry’s wider struggles. On Friday, BC Hydro announced it had reached a deal with Atlantic Power to save the plant, saying it provided ways to source and manage cost-effective fuel.