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BC orders Burrard to supply back-up power only
Directive overrules BC Utilities Commission’s July ruling
by Laura Walz | editor@prpeak.com
BC’s government has directed BC Hydro to stop relying on Burrard Thermal generating plant for energy.
The decision came as a special cabinet directive to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) and was announced by Blair Lekstrom, minister of energy, mines and petroleum resources.
“We’ve been committed since 2001 to ending BC Hydro’s reliance on Burrard and to only using it for emergency back-up capacity,” said Lekstrom in a statement. “In BC, we have the opportunity to develop clean, renewable, cost-effective electricity with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions.”
Burrard will no longer be relied on for energy, but will continue to be available to provide emergency back-up power in the event of generation or transmission outages.
In a report on BC Hydro’s 2008 long-term acquisition plan in July, BCUC ruled that BC Hydro should increase its reliance on Burrard over the acquisition of clean, renewable energy.
The government’s directive on Burrard enables BC Hydro to advance its acquisition of up to 5,000 gigawatt hours of clean power and 1,000 gigawatt hours through biomass facilities.
Plutonic Power Corporation submitted two projects to the clean power call, Upper Toba and Bute Inlet. Donald McInnes, Plutonic vice-chair and CEO, said the biggest, short-term impact of the government’s announcement has been the reaffirmation of its policy. “They’re putting legislative weight behind their policy announcements and direction and this is very good to help with investment certainty and the investment climate in the province,” he said.
While the Burrard plant could generate up to 10 per cent of the electricity load in BC, McInnes added, it would have been the largest emitter of carbon in the province as well. “That decision really flew in the face of where the world seems to want to go, which is a reduced carbon economy,” he said.
BC Hydro couldn’t complete the clean power call without the government directive, McInnes added, because BC Hydro’s procurement strategies are overseen by the utilities commission. “We continue to be very bullish on the future for clean power in the province, which is why we continue to spend money on feasibility, permitting and engineering work on upper Toba and Bute,” he said. “We do think that ultimately we will be able to realize those projects and we’re just very excited about the opportunity that the energy plan has given us.”
However, the government directive has added energy to the debate among private power supporters and opponents.
The Wilderness Committee called the decision “idiotic” and pointed out the government was ignoring its own regulatory watchdog. “This decision won’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions in BC by one iota, but it will damage a lot of streams and rivers in the process,” said Gwen Barlee, policy director with the Wilderness Committee.
Nicholas Simons, New Democratic Party MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast said if the public benefited from this decision, he’d support it. “Regardless of one’s perspective on the government’s energy plans, it’s not a good sign that they simply get away with overruling an independent body like the BCUC,” he said. “Because this decision has nothing to do with the environment and because it goes against the public interest, it’s hard not to conclude that it’s about government giving a gift to friends at our expense.”
Burrard Thermal will continue to operate sparingly, regardless, Simons added, “and the hypocrisy around this aspect is kind of obvious. This is the same government that’s promoting coal production, off-shore oil drilling and massive blacktop expansion.”
The decision came as a special cabinet directive to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) and was announced by Blair Lekstrom, minister of energy, mines and petroleum resources.
“We’ve been committed since 2001 to ending BC Hydro’s reliance on Burrard and to only using it for emergency back-up capacity,” said Lekstrom in a statement. “In BC, we have the opportunity to develop clean, renewable, cost-effective electricity with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions.”
Burrard will no longer be relied on for energy, but will continue to be available to provide emergency back-up power in the event of generation or transmission outages.
In a report on BC Hydro’s 2008 long-term acquisition plan in July, BCUC ruled that BC Hydro should increase its reliance on Burrard over the acquisition of clean, renewable energy.
The government’s directive on Burrard enables BC Hydro to advance its acquisition of up to 5,000 gigawatt hours of clean power and 1,000 gigawatt hours through biomass facilities.
Plutonic Power Corporation submitted two projects to the clean power call, Upper Toba and Bute Inlet. Donald McInnes, Plutonic vice-chair and CEO, said the biggest, short-term impact of the government’s announcement has been the reaffirmation of its policy. “They’re putting legislative weight behind their policy announcements and direction and this is very good to help with investment certainty and the investment climate in the province,” he said.
While the Burrard plant could generate up to 10 per cent of the electricity load in BC, McInnes added, it would have been the largest emitter of carbon in the province as well. “That decision really flew in the face of where the world seems to want to go, which is a reduced carbon economy,” he said.
BC Hydro couldn’t complete the clean power call without the government directive, McInnes added, because BC Hydro’s procurement strategies are overseen by the utilities commission. “We continue to be very bullish on the future for clean power in the province, which is why we continue to spend money on feasibility, permitting and engineering work on upper Toba and Bute,” he said. “We do think that ultimately we will be able to realize those projects and we’re just very excited about the opportunity that the energy plan has given us.”
However, the government directive has added energy to the debate among private power supporters and opponents.
The Wilderness Committee called the decision “idiotic” and pointed out the government was ignoring its own regulatory watchdog. “This decision won’t reduce greenhouse gas emissions in BC by one iota, but it will damage a lot of streams and rivers in the process,” said Gwen Barlee, policy director with the Wilderness Committee.
Nicholas Simons, New Democratic Party MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast said if the public benefited from this decision, he’d support it. “Regardless of one’s perspective on the government’s energy plans, it’s not a good sign that they simply get away with overruling an independent body like the BCUC,” he said. “Because this decision has nothing to do with the environment and because it goes against the public interest, it’s hard not to conclude that it’s about government giving a gift to friends at our expense.”
Burrard Thermal will continue to operate sparingly, regardless, Simons added, “and the hypocrisy around this aspect is kind of obvious. This is the same government that’s promoting coal production, off-shore oil drilling and massive blacktop expansion.”
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| Briefly: October 30, 2009 | Quick Peaks: November 4, 2009 |
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