Google Earth is a virtual globe viewer that allows you to browse the planet in 3 dimensions. If you do not have Google Earth installed, a free copy is available from http://earth.google.com/
The Google Earth private power map allows you to browse private water power licences and applications in several different ways.
The tree view on the left pane in Google Earth organizes private power licences into the following categories:
License Status.
- Licence holder, sorted by license count. This layer shows the significance of each of the players in the private power industry.
- Electoral district, sorted by license count. The header for each electoral district contains contact information for the MLA in each riding.
- Regional District, sorted by license count. The header for each regional district also contains RD contact information.
I have also included layers containing park outlines so that the user can see where planned projects encroach on our Provincial Parks. Garibaldi Park has two water license applications with in its boundary.
With the map loaded into Google Earth you will be able to 'fly' around British Columbia and explore water licences relating to private power generation. Each 'point of diversion' is noted with a coloured placemark.
Green placemarks represent current water licences for power generation or storage. 
Yellow placemarks indicate the location of an application for water a licence.
Green lightbulbs represent projects with a valid water licence and an energy purchase agreement.
Projects that are generating electricity under an energy purchase agreement.
By hovering your mouse cursor over a placemark the name of the water body will be displayed. Clicking on a placemark will display an information balloon similar to the following:
Each placemark may contain up to 4 separate categories of information.
The first section contains information about the license and the licensee.
If the licensee has applied for land tenure the application information will be displayed for each application. There is not a one to one correlation between points of diversion and applications, so an application for land tenure may be displayed under several points of diversion.
Applications for land tenure are being made for:
- Power house facilities
- Penstock corridors
- Intake facilities
- Roads
- Transmission line corridors
- Laydown area (staging area for equipment and supplies)
and in some cases even - airstrips
- docks
In some cases these areas applied for are of significant size. Click on the application status to be taken to the application details page at the Integrated Land Management Bureau.
For projects larger than 50 megawatts the licencee must complete an environmental assessment. Click on the Project name to view the project details at the Environmental Assessment Office.
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