Guest Blog: 10,000 voices for BC Rivers - What the privatization of BC water power means to its citizens.
I am happy to post this information in support of the 10,000 voices for BC Rivers as a guest post written by my friend, and avid outdoorsman Rick Jones of Burnaby BC.
I've heard it called the "Great Liquid Gold Rush," "The Power Grab,"or the"Sell off of BC Water"
What does it all mean??? You should know about this, because the power of running water belongs to you.
In the 1950's and 60's WAC Bennett purchased the BC Electric Co. for the citizens of BC. He build a power system owned by the citizens of BC that became the envy of the world. Consequently we pay lower than average rates for our power.
Today our provincial Government is in the process of selling off hundreds of rivers and creeks to private companies so they can build power projects and sell the power back to BC hydro. A large percentage of this flowing water is from small creeks and rivers. These power projects on small rivers could divert as much as 90% of the water. (Proven by the Asahlu River project - 92%) The private companies have to sell the power back to BC hydro for 20 years, After this period of time, the company owns your river and can sell the power to whomever they wish for whatever they can get for it. Watch the power rates go up when this happens. I speculate that most of the power will go south.
Our government has told us that they have to import power and that's why we need these additional private power projects. This is not true.The reason that we import power is because we can sell this power to our neighbors for a profit. California uses a lot of power and that's where our exports will go. We do not need the additional power here in BC, so these private power projects are for export. This fact is simple to understand. These small river and streams come from our mountains. Most power will be produced from run off in the spring to freeze up in the fall. When do we need the power? In the winter. With the cold weather our small streams will be mostly frozen, with little or no water running.thus no power. When does California need the power? In the summer to keep things cool, when our streams are free from ice.
These private power projects were started about 2003 and have been kept from the public until recently when it came to light. Some of the provincial government tactics have been atrocious. When the Asahlu River project (near Squamish) became public knowledge, the community voted against it 8-1, so the provincial Government passed Bill 30. This bill strips local municipalities of their zoning authority over private power projects. Leaving BC's communities without a voice in the process. Undemocratic? YOU BET!!!!! They took away the community authority to protect the public interest.
Is this good for the citizens of BC? Become informed, watch the attached videos and start asking questions, I am not suggesting that you vote for this party or that party. What I am suggesting is to go to the public meetings and ask your candidates about the run of the river projects and how the silencing of the people by bringing in Bill 30 can be considered democratic.
I am an outdoors person and I love rivers, lakes and the undisturbed beauty of all nature. But there always seems to be somebody that wants to destroy it all for a few dollars of profit.
Rick Jones
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