It’s all about going green when it comes to the newly named Green Party candidate for the Fraser-Nicola riding.

If elected in the provincial election next May, B.C. Green Party candidate Arthur Green wants to focus his efforts on green energy.

“We’re going to focus on job creation, especially in the renewable energy sectors,” he said, adding that the B.C. Green Party believes the climate of the southern Interior is perfect for creating solar energy farms.

He pointed to the Lower Nicola Indian Band’s placement of a solar array on its school as a model for others in the riding to follow.

Green said he’s opposed to the Kinder Morgan pipeline, both from economic and environmental points of view.

“Not only do I consider it environmentally damaging, but the economics of it don’t really work either,” Green said. “I’m positive, and it’s the position of both [federal and provincial] Green parties that the real economic future and the opportunity for Canada is in the conversion to clean and renewable energies.”

While the pipeline has received federal approval, pending fulfillment of 157 environmental conditions set by the National Energy Board, the current Liberal provincial government in B.C. has yet to back the pipeline.

Last week, Premier Christy Clark said that the Kinder Morgan project was “very very close to fulfilling the five conditions” her government has required the new pipeline meet.

Green said he wants to see some redistribution when it come to the province’s timber supply areas and allowable annual cuts to create more a more sustainable forestry industry across the province.

“If we redistributed the quotas so that mills like [Tolko] in Merritt would have a greater opportunity to stay open and keep those jobs, that’s an incredible amount of jobs for such a small community,” Green said.

Last year he ran as the federal Green Party nominee for the Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon riding, accumulating 2,293 votes and placing fourth in the riding. Liberal Jati Sidhu won with more than 16,000 votes.

Green who hails from Hope B.C. — a city which was added to the riding ahead of this election — joins the current MLA Jackie Tegart as the only two nominees named as a candidate running in Fraser-Nicola riding.

Tegart was acclaimed by the B.C. Liberals a few months ago.

The B.C. NDP have yet to name a candidate for the provincial election, but both former NDP MLA Harry Lali, and Lower Nicola Band Chief Aaron Sam are vying for the party’s nomination.