To the editor:
The Vancouver Sun recently reported how BC Hydro has been shutting down its own turbines.
Why? It’s because the Crown corporation has been forced to purchase power from independent power producers (IPPs) in British Columbia, such as run-of-river and wind power.
BC Hydro has signed over 100 contracts to purchase power from IPPs, whether or not it needs the power in B.C. So instead of using its own cheap hydro power sources, BC Hydro is paying many times the market rate for power from IPPs it doesn’t need, and can’t export at a profit.
BC Hydro owes close to $42 billion for power contracts with IPPs, which extend 30 or more years into the future. Instead of spending that money on its own new plants or upgrades, BC Hydro will pay that money to private power companies, many of which are owned out of province. This is for power that may not be needed by BC Hydro, and may have to be exported at a loss.
Former BC Hydro CEO Dave Cobb said last year the B.C. Liberal government policies will cost BC Hydro hundreds of millions of dollars by forcing it to purchase unneeded power from IPPs.
BC Hydro’s debt is large and growing. B.C.’s Auditor General recently criticized BC Hydro’s bookkeeping, which defers billions of dollars in costs to the future.
The recently approved Kokish River run-of-river project on Vancouver Island has been criticized for its impact on fish habitat. This is to produce expensive power sold to publicly-owned BC Hydro that it does not actually need.
For more information, search the Internet for “Hydro awash in private power” at www.vancouversun.com/technology/story.html?id=6605915 and “BC Hydro head predicts end” at www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=9c7f6e08-e6b0-4374-a763-f1c2b5190ec6.
Hugh Thomas
100 Mile House
