Run-of-the-river projects threaten efforts to become green
By Melissa Davis, Vancouver Sun
January 29, 2010
It's not easy being green, as the saying goes, and nowhere more so than here
in British Columbia.
After all, our province has an established reputation as an incubator for
social and political change: B.C. is the birthplace of Greenpeace, the front
line in the "war in the woods" and the arena where environmentalists, first
nations, government and business came together to create the "Great Bear
Rainforest."
It is also the place where climate change has generated a massive mountain
pine beetle infestation that is destroying the boreal forest and where the
provincial government is accelerating construction of run-of-river private
power projects while encouraging expanded oil and gas development.
There is no question that genuine green solutions are urgently needed in
B.C.'s energy sector -- aggressive conservation programs, realistic
forecasting of our domestic energy requirements, and research and
development of renewable energy projects. But what has emerged, instead,
through B.C.'s energy policy and the private power industry, is a growing
body of evidence of "greenwashing."
Since introducing its energy plan in 2002, the provincial government has
entirely restructured the province's electricity sector, prohibiting
publicly owned BC Hydro from engaging in new power generation and
designating this function exclusively to the private sector. This energy
policy has resulted in a "gold rush" mentality, with a handful of private
corporations staking claims on first nations territories and Crown land --
with almost 800 private run-of-river power developments constructed, in
development or proposed.
What was once the "war in the woods" has become the "war on our waters."
Inevitably, electricity generated by private power projects will far exceed
domestic requirements. B.C. is being converted into what the government
proudly calls a "green energy powerhouse" -- at the expense of myriad
social, environmental and economic adverse impacts. Similarly, the CEO of
one private power giant has repeatedly described B.C. as "the Saudi Arabia
of run-of-river hydro opportunities," conjuring images of widespread and
irreparable damage to our rivers, wilderness, and wildlife for the purpose
of exporting electricity to California to power air conditioners.
B.C.'s energy policy is also touted -- by government and industry -- as a
solution to both climate change and the economic downturn. The new "green
economy" promises thousands of private sector "green jobs" for British
Columbians; conspicuously omitted from this creative messaging is the fact
that these are only short-term construction jobs and that most private power
hydro facilities are almost entirely automated.
Also unacknowledged publicly, but buried in the provincial budget and
related documents, is the fact that residential hydro rate increases are
subsidizing private power developments. In addition to a three-per-cent hike
last April and the two-tiered rate structure imposed in October, British
Columbians can expect an additional 21-per-cent rate increase over the next
three years.
Even the provincial government's independent regulatory body, the BC
Utilities Commission, issued a ruling last July that BC Hydro's 2008 long
term acquisition plan to purchase large quantities of private power was "not
in the public interest." Weeks later, the government issued a directive,
effectively overruling the decision.
More recently, the B.C. government established a Green Energy Advisory Task
Force to examine procurement and regulatory reform; carbon pricing, trade
and export; community engagement and first nations partnerships; and
resource development. While the task force creates the impression of public
consultation, membership consisted mostly of private power executives and
associates, and the insufficient six-week public comment period was merely
an open invitation for submissions by e-mail. Perhaps of greatest concern,
is the government's refusal to publicize any submissions received by the
task force; this lack of transparency provides the public with no assurances
that their input has been considered and incorporated into the task force's
forthcoming recommendations.
At this crucial time, climate change reinforces our collective sense of
urgency. But green energy opportunities must be more than the colour of
money generated by profit-driven private power producers -- invested in
energy consumption, not conservation -- and ultimately for the benefit of
corporate shareholders. BC Hydro has been a profitable Crown utility for
more than 50 years and, on the basis of that expertise and experience, is
well positioned to remain a global leader in implementing ambitious
conservation and demand side management programs as well as developing green
energy projects -- with revenues reinvested into B.C.'s social programs and
services. Our province should have a moral imperative to do green energy the
right way: placing the planet and the public good ahead of profit, through
public ownership and oversight, regional planning, meaningful engagement
with first nations, and strict adherence to environmental standards.
Melissa Davis is the executive director of BC Citizens for Public Power.
(c) Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
