Bill 15 to enrich private power producers, shock ratepayers
and harm the environment says Wilderness Committee
by WCWC
The Wilderness Committee today sounded the alarm about legislation rapidly moving towards becoming BC law. Bill 15, the Utilities Commission Amendment Act, is waiting for Royal Assent in the BC Legislature, before becoming law.
Two years ago the government of BC passed Bill 30, which removes local community government oversight of private power projects. Now Bill 15 aims to significantly reduce the oversight of the BC Utilities Commission over private power projects.
Vancouver, BC ~ Bill 15 will largely strip the Utilities Commission of its
independence and make it impossible to stop bad deals without the
consent of the provincial government.
Currently, the BC
Utilities Commission has the authority to order a stop to agreements
made by the BC Government to purchase power from private producers if
those agreements have prices set so high they are a bad deal for
provincial ratepayers. Formerly the BCUC was tasked with protecting the
best interests of British Columbians in regards to power purchases by
BC Hydro.
- "The result of this proposed law will come back to
shock anyone who pays an electrical bill in this province," said Joe
Foy, Wilderness Committee Campaign Director. "Many of these proposed
projects would not be possible, if not for the inflated rates that Bill
15 will facilitate. With the passage of Bill 15 the Utilities
Commission becomes nothing but a toothless lap dog on a choke chain
catering to the private power producers' every desire."
The
Wilderness Committee believes that Bill 15 has been introduced because
of the gold rush of private power developers currently staking hundreds
of rivers and streams across the province.
- "The BC Government doesn't
want to be embarrassed by the Commission telling the public that these
private developers are being paid too much for their power," said Gwen
Barlee, Policy Director with the Wilderness Committee. "This Bill
greases the skids for private power developers and leaves the public
out in the cold."
- "As a result of Bill 15, we are going to
see environmental degradation in streams where private power projects
should never have been built and we'll see our power bills go through
the roof," commented Foy.
The Wilderness Committee opposes
the passage of Bill 15, is calling for the repeal of Bill 30 and
supports an immediate moratorium on private hydropower development in
BC.
For more information contact:
Joe Foy 604-683-8220 (work tel) or 604- 880-2580 (cell tel)
Gwen Barlee 604-683-8220 (work tel) or 604-202-0322 (cell tel)
Sue Fox | Director of Publications, Communications and Special Events Wilderness Committee | Canada's largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization
Office: 4 Floor, 341 Water St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1B8
Mail: 227 Abbott St., Vancouver, BC V6B 2K7
Office: 604-683-8220 | Fax: 604-683-8229
Web: www.wildernesscommittee.org
|
