Paul Taylor began the year not expecting that he would soon be heading up one of the most ambitious green power projects in the country.

"It is an opportunity that came looking for me," Taylor said upon the news that he is leaving the Insurance Corp. of B.C. for the would-be developer of a giant wind farm off the north coast.

A headhunter for the NaiKun Wind Energy Group approached Taylor in mid-February, seeking to persuade him to give up the ICBC presidency for the one at NaiKun.

After several weeks of negotiations, the company set a deadline, asking for a decision by the April 4 board meeting. Taylor jumped, despite the awkward timing.

Throughout the recruitment period, he'd been crisis managing the biggest internal scandal in ICBC history.

On Jan. 24, three weeks before the first approach from NaiKun, he'd learned about the racket being run out of the ICBC research centre.

Rebuilt cars dumped on the public without proper documentation. Rigged auctions of other rebuilt cars for management insiders.

Taylor believed he'd done everything to get on top of the situation.

Secured and closed the research facility. Brought in forensic auditors. Authorized compensation for ripped-off members of the public.

Vowed retribution for insiders who were caught out. Ensured police were given documentation to launch an investigation of their own.

Still, he knew how it would look when the news came out that he was leaving. "I don't care what people say about me," Taylor says. "They will say whatever they want." But he was concerned that the folks at ICBC would feel he was leaving them in the lurch.

Still, he jumped. For a restless guy (I detailed his earlier movements in this space Friday), this latest challenge was "consistent with what I wanted to do."

Taylor left behind a salary in the $300,000-a-year range (plus bonuses) for a company that has so far offered relatively modest dollar compensation. His predecessor was paid just $140,000.

But NaiKun promises "excellent returns" to its senior employees and directors if the project goes ahead. That previous president had options on the purchase of close to half a million shares of company stock.

Taylor says he was strongly attracted to the vision of the wind generation project, drawing a comparison to the great days of hydroelectric power development on the Peace and Columbia Rivers in the 1960s.

NaiKun would install more than 400 wind turbines (in several phases) in the waters between Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands) and the B.C. mainland.

Planners envision an eventual generating capacity of 1,750 megawatts, about double that of the proposed Site C dam on the Peace River. But keep in mind that wind power is much more fickle than hydro.

The turbines would plug into the grid at Prince Rupert and their output would be sold "across Western Canada and the United States."

The vision has attracted others besides Taylor. Board chair Michael Burns was previously with BC Gas and, years ago, served as chief fundraiser for Social Credit. Other key players were formerly associated with BC Hydro.

On Friday NaiKun announced another prize recruit. Michael O'Connor, currently project director for the Canada rapid transit line, is being brought in to oversee the construction of the wind farm.

All this when there are good grounds for skepticism about the prospects for developing wind power off the north coast.

BC Hydro recently released a consultants' report pegging the potential cost at $135 to $250 a megawatt hour, as much as double the estimates for onshore wind power. "It is expected that this energy potential will be severely limited due to the financial feasibility of projects, available electrical transmission, environmental planning constraints and the expected power demand in this region," the report says.

Nevertheless, NaiKun sounds supremely confident.

"Our relationship with BC Hydro is a good one and contract-related discussions between us take place on a regular basis," a recent advisory from the company tells potential investors. "We are confident that we will have an energy purchase agreement from BC Hydro in hand by the end of the year."

Then there's this passage from the recent annual report: "Public policy and public attitudes have moved into a very strong alignment with the objectives of the company. Acknowledgment and interest in the company by the premier of British Columbia and the governor of California attest to the acceptance and viability of our industry, the demand of clean wind power and NaiKun's prominence."

Construction of the first 100-turbine phase is scheduled to begin by May 2009, which by an amazing coincidence is also the timing of the next provincial election.

Makes you wonder what Messrs. Taylor, Burns and O'Connor might know that the rest of us do not.

vpalmer@direct.ca