The Written Word: April 20, 2008

Sunday, April 20, 2008 03:49 AM

Surely all would agree that before a private power plant is in place the suitability of the project should be examined. In BC we’ve had three hoops in place.

There was the ability of the municipality to examine the project and see if it met their zoning and environmental standards. The Campbell government took that power away so that they can force acceptance of their approved projects without letting local people have their say.

Then there was the BC Utilities Commission which examined hydro-electric projects. You may remember that it was hearings by the BC Utilities Commission that caused the Harcourt government to “tube” the Kemano II project. Now, thanks to Bill 15, the Campbell government can command the BC Utilities Commission not to look at favoured energy plants. This legislation was passed with “run of river” projects in mind.

Then there was the environmental process of the BC government itself. This is a bad joke, For starters, the Director under the Environmental Assessment Act is not a member of the public service but an appointee of the Campbell government! Moreover, on the Environment’s track record with fish farms, it’s fair to assume that there will be no meaningful policing of private power plants.

When a private company gets a license to put in a plant, the fix is well and truly in.

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Posted on Sunday, April 20, 2008 03:49 AM in Views by Rafe Mair

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Comments

Posted by: Eagleone on April 20 2008 5:10 AM

Interesting, but really the people up here have no say in the matter anyways. Its the 604 that has all the power and if they want these things and its not in their back yard I can't see how we can stop them.

I agree with what your saying though....

Posted by: michael on April 20 2008 7:12 AM

Actually the power of the people will prevail. Minister Penner quickly put a stop to dams on the Pitt river after more than a thousand protested.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 20 2008 7:51 AM

I agree with Eagleone completely!
If we actually think that anyone south of Cache Creek gives a damn what anyone up here in the 250 exchange says or thinks,we're dreaming.
He stated the other day in Nelson, in regards to a group of protesters,that "run of the river" projects ARE going to become part of B.C.'s energy system.
He didn't say they MIGHT,or they COULD become a reality,he said they ARE going to get done.
Can you see the real Gordon Campbell yet?
This is a guy who has done his best to unload as much of B.C. as he and his government can.
Considering the fact that we are scratching for power like never before,,none of that suprises me,but the sheer arrogance and apathy to everything outside the lower mainland will likely be Campbell's undoing.
We are viewed as nothing more than a annoyance to be slapped like a bug.
And make no mistake,hydro is BIG business,and it isn't all about satisfying the electrical needs of the B.C.
It's about MONEY and a different kind of power.
It would be a different story if I believed that the bulk of that hydro electric power generated by run of the river projects would be staying in B.C.,but it won't.
Adding smaller hyro projects at the bottom will only give them more to sell to the U.S.off the top,so what changes?

Posted by: socredible on April 20 2008 10:39 AM

The "power of the people" WILL prevail, but only if it's exercised. It DID stop the privatization of the Coquihalla Highway. But it faded away in the imposition of an increased toll to drive it, (on a road that former Premier Bill Bennett said publicly had been paid for long ago!) Because it wasn't sustained.

That kind of 'people power', which cuts across Party lines, (and really makes political "Parties" themselves ineffective), makes "our" representatives listen to "their" constituents, or risk the consequences.

That's really the only way that Campbell's give-away of water power resources to private firms (who are then going to peddle electricity to us, but only if we pay the 'world price' for it), can be stopped.

Really, aside from any philosophical arguments over whether it's better to have 'public' hyro-electric power development or 'private' power development, it seems to me that BC Hydro already is organized in such a way that 'public' power development of run of the river systems would be the more efficient way to go.

In any case, the price for the power that is sold to us from these systems should be based on the 'cost' of production, plus a reasonable profit. Not a "the sky's the limit" competition to extract some 'world price' from us for the use of our own resources.

Posted by: seamutt on April 20 2008 1:40 PM

Operating costs for Hydro is about .06 cents a kilowatthour. Private producers charge upto 60 cents a killowatthour. Guess who is going to pay. Hydro, read Campbell has already signed and will be signing more contracts combined worth billions. Don't ya just love how this government helps its buddys.