You are here$100 donation promise is one that John Hunter should pay
$100 donation promise is one that John Hunter should pay
Ralph Keller, Courier-Islander, Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Re: Lynda Belter and John Hunter's $100 dollar donation.
The decision by the BCUC on BC Hydro's Application for Approval of the 2008 Long Term Acquisition Plan (LTAP) is a lengthy document. On page 131 is the following statement:
"The Commission Panel believes that the parts of the LTAP it has rejected represent a level of individual and collective materiality that removes the underpinnings of the entire LTAP. Accordingly, the Commission Panel finds that BC Hydro's 2008 LTAP is not in the public interest and rejects it."
The LTAP is about buying power from private power companies that produce power for profit. The Commission infers that forcing BC Hydro to buy expensive power from independent power producers is not in the best interests of British Columbians several times throughout their decision paper, including:
"The Commission... cannot endorse a specific volume from the 2008 Clean Power Call." (page 2)
And the BCUC acknowledged concern about escalating energy costs:
"...the single most important factor escalating BC Hydro's rates was the cost of energy, and that one of the largest elements contributing to that increase was the realization of BC Hydro's commitments to purchase new high cost supply through mechanisms such as the F2006 Call." (page 17)
The undeniable bottom line is that the BCUC, the citizen's public utility watchdog says BC Hydro's LTAP (for private independent power) "is not in the public interest and rejects it."
No matter how you spin it, that's a direct quote.
As for local citizens being stripped of democratic rights, Bill 30 was introduced precisely for that purpose: It was enacted by the BC Liberals in response to the Ashlu IPP proposal, specifically so private energy project applications could not be disapproved by local governments.
Mr. Hunter is a private sector energy consultant.
I think his perspective is biased and I think Mr Hunter owes $100 to the charity of my choice.
Ralph Keller
A Friend of Bute Inlet
© Courier-Islander (Campbell River) 2010
Source
$100 charity donation if claims substantiated
John Hunter, Courier-Islander. Friday, February 05, 2010
Letter writer Lynda Belter needs to get a grip on facts about green energy and BC Hydro and do her own independent research, and not just (as she apparently did) reply on the misinformation from the usual enemies of independent power.
I am very familiar with the BC Utilities Commission and BC Hydro, having advised them on several files as an energy consultant. If Ms. Belter can find a BCUC decision that "ruled that private river power is unnecessary, too expensive and is not in the best interest of British Columbians", I'll donate $100 via the Courier-Islander to the charity of her choice.
Bill 30 has not "taken away the voice of local government", but will prevent local government veto of energy projects directly or indirectly. This is no different than Ontario, for example, where the Ontario Energy Board has ultimate authority over most energy projects.
"Natural resources being sold off" she says, and demands that the government "reinstate" BC Hydro. What part of BC Hydro has been "sold"? In fact, BC Hydro just bought a one-third interest in Teck's Waneta dam, and are spending hundreds of millions expanding existing facilities (e.g. Aberfeldie expansion $95 MM). Water for run-of-river projects is not "sold"; rights to use the water for power generation only are leased for 40 years as required by BC statutes.
If Ms. Belter would check the BCUC or BC Hydro websites she would find that the energy conservation moves she demands are already long underway.
I encourage Ms. Belter to take information on this hot topic - including mine - with healthy scepticism, and to do her own independent research.
John Hunter, P. Eng.,
President & CEO,
J. Hunter & Associates Ltd.
© Courier-Islander (Campbell River) 2010
Lynda V. Belter, Courier-Islander, Wednesday, January 13, 2010
An open letter BC Premier Gordon Campbell; Minister of Energy Mines & Petroleum Resources, Blair Lekstrom; Minister of Environment, Barry Penner, published here by request.
British Columbia, the Best Place on Earth you say? Thanks to you, Mr. Premier, and your lackeys, it is the best place on earth for international corporate predators.
You should be able to determine right off that I am, to say the least, very angry and disappointed with the direction that your Liberal Party is taking British Columbia with regards to the natural resources that belong to all British Columbians.
The objective of this letter, however, is to express my anger and dismay at your plans for dismantling BC Hydro and putting our power into the hands of large foreign corporations, having total disregard for the wishes of the people who have an inherent right to protect and preserve what is rightfully ours.
The BC Utilities Commission has ruled that private river power is unnecessary, too expensive and is not in the best interests of British Columbians, but true to the form of this government, the Commission has been, in my opinion, gagged.
Your government has also taken away the voice of local governments regarding the private power projects through Bill 30, which should be repealed immediately.
No matter how you slice it, "private" means "profit". Our natural resources should not be sold off to international corporate predators who will reap huge profits at the expense of all British Columbians.
BC Hydro should be reinstated and answer to the citizens who are the stakeholders of this province, rather than wealthy "private for profit" corporations reporting to shareholders, who only care about the almighty dollar.
Give British Columbia back to whom it rightfully belongs. Do not relegate us to becoming tenants in our own province.
Your government is not acting in a democratic manner.
It is time that the public good comes before corporate profits, foreign or otherwise.
In short, Messrs. Campbell, Lekstrom and Penner, I demand that you keep your hands off of my assets. British Columbia is not your private domain to do with what you will.
The assets of British Columbia belong to all of us and we deserve the right to have a say in how these assets are managed.
Mr. Premier, it really stinks that our MLAs do not have the guts to stand up for the people who elected them and do what we want them to do rather than to just do your bidding.
Democracy, my foot! Is Anybody Out There?
This letter is becoming too long, but I am angry and I deserve the right to be heard. Therefore, I am requesting the following actions be taken immediately:
Put a moratorium on all river diversions until we have had more province-wide town hall public meetings.
Repeal Bill 30 and return this province to its rightful owners, i.e., all British Columbians, by giving our voice back to us.
Give the BC Utilities Commission its due respect by listening to what the independent regulators have ruled, as stated above.
Put your so-called green energy into practice by conserving energy rather than allowing "private for profit" corporations to produce energy.
Put incentives and infrastructures in place to encourage energy conservation.
At this point in my letter, I want all of you to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN!! If you do not want to listen to the people of British Columbia, then if you have any decency at all, listen to your own conscience.
My question to all of you is this.
WHY is this government so determined to have everything privatized when "private" does mean "profit"?
Since time is of the essence, I respectfully request an immediate reply.
Lynda V. Belter
© Courier-Islander (Campbell River) 2010
