Just to bring you all up to snuff on the recent British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) ruling, before we look at how the Gordon Campbell government has responded (reacted).
The BCUC is a non-partisan board that reviews and protects the interests of the BC public on legislated issues such as energy production and pricing etc
The BCUC's recent ruling on the proposed energy and acquisition plan from BC Hydro, our public power utility, did three main things:
"1. It wholeheartedly approved of BC Hydro's plan to continue upgrading our public energy system, making it more efficient - a good environmental and economic investment for B.C.
"2. It applauded BC Hydro's conservation ambitions but demanded it go much further, providing it with considerable resources to do so.
"3. It said a definite "NO" to plans to buy another batch of expensive private river and wind power from the likes of General Electric and Plutonic Power (this includes the duo's largest proposed project in Bute Inlet on the Sunshine Coast), which is estimated would carry an approx. $20 billion contract all on its own, to be paid for by you and I through astronomical future power bills. The regulator determined BC Hydro had not demonstrated a need for the power and that it was not in the public interest. This backs up the position that the government and industry have been misleading the public about our true energy needs, confirmed by data from StatsCan and the National Energy Board
The blanket BCUC ruling after a year long well-researched study concluded that private river power and the current BC Energy Plan is "NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST"
This ruling was devastating for the autocratic Campbell Libs and their corporate cronies. Particularly the main player Plutonic Power (owned by American corporate giant General Electric) since it threatened their massive proposed Bute Inlet Project. (largest private power development in Canadian history). Value of shares in Plutonic plummeted drastically (about 30%) when the BCUC ruling hit Wall Street.
The silence was deafening. The BC Liberals are in bed the independent power producers (you don't have to be a political analyst to figure that out). How would King Campbell rescue his corporate buddies?
Well here it is folks! In the speech from the throne opening the fall session of BC Legislature.
What we've all been waiting for...and exactly as expected. Campbell steamrolling over the recent BCUC ruling that plainly stated and documented that private river power is "not in the public interest". (excerpt from the throne speech below).
With one major addition. This out-of-touch government is now going to (openly) begin to develop an energy export policy to the States. (export is what it’s all about from the outset). And we’ll all pay for this big-time when we eventually are forced to compete with California prices for power produced on our rivers.
The speech from the throne is well crafted for deceit, so I noted the real words in red that were so ingeniously omitted.
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Quote from Hansard transcript:
"New energy producers (IPP.s) will be looking for (provided with) long-term (exclusive) investments (investment opportunities) leveraged through long-term (government secured) power contracts (forced upon BC Hydro) that give them a competitive edge in (the North American market) our province.
B.C.'s multiple sources of clean, renewable energy are far preferable to reliance on other dirtier forms of power. We don’t use dirty power presently, but demonizing the gas powered Burrard Thermal Plant (that is only used in emergencies and supplies only 1% of BC power annually) is a great tool to delude the public and aid our sinister plans to hand our rivers over to international corporations).
We will open up that power potential with new vigour (greed), new prescribed clean (environmentally devastating) power calls and new investments in transmission. New approaches to power generation, transmission and taxation policies will create new high-paying jobs for (Liberal insiders)British Columbia's families
A new Green Energy Advisory Task Force will shortly be appointed (the key word here) to complement (override and negate) the work of the BCUC's long-term transmission requirement review.
That task force will be asked (told) to recommend a blueprint for maximizing British Columbia's clean power potential (corporate profit potential), including a principled, (unprincipled) economically-viable (profit sustainable) and environmentally-sustainable (green-washed) export development policy.”
How can Gordon Campbell blatantly oppose a ruling that is obviously in the public interest? Simple...because he doesn't give a dam about the interests of the public!
His interests lie with his corporate friends, their massive campaign contributions, and a lucrative future CEO position within the industry once he's finished selling off our public resources. (see photos below)
Please pass this on to friends, family and business associates in your email address book.
