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[troutbreath]

I agree with almost everything you say Skaha.  The only thing I see a problem with is letting BC Hydro build the projects as BC Hydro is already buying the power from the IPP's and selling and transmitting it for profit.  BC Hydro is a business and with all businesses $$$ can lead to poor decision making.

Sort of let the cat out of the bag with that statement big stinker. What's a IPP, a social club.

[Big Sinker]

That is why I say put some faith in regulatory agencies, not BC Hydro or the owners of IPP's.  BC Hydro is a business, not a regulatory agency.

[Easywater]

I dont know about you but hundreds and hundreds of small projects makes no sense both financially or environmentally to BC CITIZENS.

I agree.

It's stupid to build a bunch of small projects with all the environmental damage (roads, soil erosion, water diversion, etc) that goes with it.
What do they call it - "Death by a thousand cuts"?

Build a giant dam somewhere if we need more power.

[skaha]

-I just try to do the best I can with the cards dealt. I'm no fan of BC Hydro, in fact I believe I picketed and protested over their site C proposal. We have enough dams. We may or may not... depending on who you believe need more power.
--My house is electric heat. I've upgraded insulation, I use an evaporation cooler rather than air conditioner etc. I'm on Fortis not hydro but that is geographic and not really something I could choose.
--I have a boat with a 4 stroke engine.. 1/2 my friends say great to the 4 stroke, the other half say any engine is just pollution for pleasure and I should be ashamed of myself for using one.

--I am all for run of river projects as part of the power solution, however I got sucked in. I was not envisioning the size and scope of projects currently proposed. I want to see someone please with a comprehensive plan for at least the whole province. It must be debated in the legislature not the board room. I have no faith the current government will do this and very little faith that it will be a priority of any of the other parties. We have to make it a priority, they're supposed to be our representatives. I want to know what we can do not what we can't do.  

--Regulatory agencies are not as (in my opinion) effective nor proactive under the current regime of results based. Essentially if the company says they can fix it or are taking reasonable risk there is no reason to stop them. That is why often the only comment from MOE or MOF on a project is to follow current practices and procedures. They cannot give direction on what would be preferred as an option.

[VAGAbond]

BC gets relatively low cost electric power because our parents took a risk and had BC Hydro build some large and controversial but economic projects like Mica, Revelstoke and so on.     New power will cost more no matter who builds it.    The government likes the independent run-of-river plants because they get economic activity with no public investment but the developers get a guaranteed purchase agreement from Hydro for long enough to pay for their plant.     So you and me pay for the plant and in the end they own it.     If we had Hydro build the plants, it may be costlier or cheaper but eventually our children own the asset.  

Can the independent producers build the plants at lower cost than Hydro?  Perhaps, possibly by cutting corners like environmental preservation, but the largest project cost is typically the cost of money and near government organizations like Hydro get it at a lower rate than private developers.   So we will be paying to the developer the higher financing costs plus his profit and in the end we don't own anything.

When Hydro has paid off the financing on a plant, you and me own it and the continuing output is very inexpensive.    This can put our children in a competitive position.  When the initial purchase agreement with independent producers ends, the power comes back onto the market at current market rates.

So these independent producers are not a very good buy for Hydro's ratepayers IMHO.

[hammer]

Today's Vancouver Sun had a related article on large corporation energy waste in order to maintain rates based on usage. That being said, I contacted and donated to Watershed Watch and got some more information that should be noted by all. Note the links that show pending projects/existing projects, also the contact for Environmental Assessment Office. Anglers should monitor this because the time frame in really short on some of them. I remember the letters I wrote for the Brohm creek issue. Anyway, here it is:


Thank you for both your donation and your interest in the work we have been doing around the impacts of run of river projects.  It is an incredibly important issue and one that we have been working on for a while.
In terms of additional information, the first place I would suggest you start is our website (www.watershed-watch.org) and take a look at the publication section for some relevant reports and also take a look at the presentations from the recent Green Energy Conference sponsored by Watershed Watch and Simon Fraser University (http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/coastalGreenEnergy.htm (the full meeting proceedings will be available soon).

 

A great website that tracks run of river projects in BC can be found at http://www.ippwatch.info/w/.  This map is updated regularly and gives an overview of all proposed projects in BC.

 

Citizen input in these projects has been an ongoing issue.  There are opportunities to comment on projects while they are undergoing an assessment by the BC Environmental Assessment Office (http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/), but this is a time sensitive process and one that we have continually called inadequate. 

 

The BC government has also recently launched a comment period on proposed changes to the Water Act and on the implementation of the Living Water Smart program (http://www.livingwatersmart.ca/).  Although this is a broad initiative targeting a variety of water issues, we feel that there may be an opportunity to address the run of river issue specifically.

 

These are good resources and all have links to further sites and additional information.  If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us and thank you again for your interest.

 

Thank you,

 

Stina Hanson

Administrative Coordinator

Watershed Watch Salmon Society

wwss@telus.net

604-936-9474
     

[hammer]

Please note that I am no Stina Hanson from Watershed Watch but that is simply the informative part of her email to me.

Thanks,

Hammer

[Bavarian Raven]

thanks for the info hammer...

[patagonia]

I really think the bottom line is get involved... internet rants and bitching is useless without real involvement... this is a time of year most clubs are renewing membership... they advocate for all of us... spend $30 and support these groups which lobby against these types of projects on your behalf because most of us dont have the time or inclination... steelhead soc of BC ... Seymour river society... ect great groups that actually do something...