In 2009, the Wilderness Committee issued a press release. Gwen Barlee and Joe Foy were prescient: “Requiring BC Hydro to purchase power that it doesn’t need is an idiotic decision and a gift to the private power industry. Three months ago, the BCUC said buying this power was not in
Continue readingTag: BC Hydro
In-Sights: As we’ve been saying…
Opinion: LNG dream will fail, David Bond, Vancouver Sun, October 5, 2016 The evidence is now overwhelming. B.C.’s current energy policies, centred on the LNG export strategy and BC Hydro’s Site C, are likely to fail at great cost to taxpayers. Under regulations set by the provincial government, LNG development
Continue readingIn-Sights: State and future of BC Hydro
Opposition parties in BC ought to create a set of hearings to conduct a thorough PUBLIC examination of independent power contracts, alternative less-destructive energy sources and the state and future of BC Hydro. MLAs should try to initiate the examination as a committee of the legislature and when Liberals refuse
Continue readingIn-Sights: Financial fraud at BC Hydro?
What is a deferred expense? The term “deferred expense” is used to describe a payment that has been made, but will not be reported as an expense until a future accounting period. In 2002, WorldCom, a company with a peak net worth of $100 billion, submitted the largest bankruptcy filing
Continue readingNorthern Insights: Gordon Campbell making history
First published in December, 2009 History is indeed little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind.– Edward Gibbon, English historian of Rome (1737 – 1794) Doug McArthur at SFU’s Public Policy School cast his eye on one of British Columbia’s crime scenes: I have suggested
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: "Very, very irresponsible…"
Dr. Norman Spector, is a highly educated individual with experience at the highest levels of government service. After serving as Deputy Minister for BC Premier Bill Bennett, he was Secretary to the Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations in Ottawa and then Chief of Staff for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. After a
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Takin’ care of business, every day and every way
“This project is not ‘run-of-river.’ It involves draining alpine lakes by levels of 60 feet in depth, diverting waterfalls and clearcutting lineal swaths for power lines and penstocks. This will permanently industrialize a local pristine fjord for the sole purpose of private profit.” I read a letter to the editor
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Politics of opportunism
In a Times Colonist Op-Ed, Bercove, Madden and Coste wrote, We have the choice between trying to build an industry of uncertain benefit based on a finite resource that is guaranteed to increase our contribution to the climate crisis, or rebuilding an industry that could provide livelihoods on a potentially
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Eventually, the piper must be paid
L.F. Copeland (1888): Mathematics is an exact fact; figures don’t lie, but liars sometimes figure. Financial statements of governments and crown corporations should be simple and understandable. They should be; but seldom are when the issuers would rather obscure than reveal. I’ve been examining 25 years of BC Hydro Annual
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Performance short of promise
During the 2013 BC election, Liberals talked frequently of “Debt-Free B.C.” The party platform included this: No conscious person will be surprised when I state the performance has fallen short of the promise. It’s a liberal shortage. Consider the actual numbers versus the promise displayed above: Liberals and their allies
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: With Ian Jessop, CFAX1070, Jan 22
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Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Motorcycle Guy roars, we should listen
This was a comment on the preceding article from a regular reader. He’s a man I’ve come to admire for his dedication as he tries to reveal that government cut deals to enrich a few people at the expense of many. Additionally, those dishonest politicians forced environmental regulators to abdicate
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: A few billion here, a few billion there…
Growth in long-term debt at #BCHydro. #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/27grtfWv7g — Norm Farrell (@Norm_Farrell) January 22, 2015 In addition to growth in long-term debt, #bchydro obliged to pay over $50 billion for private energy. #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/s79ILT3HUT — Norm Farrell (@Norm_Farrell) January 22, 2015
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: When the call screener makes life difficult
January 2, an unidentified caller chatted with CKNW Legislative reporter and talkshow host Sean Leslie, a man who happens to be spouse of a BC Liberal Government Communications Director, appointed by Order in Council, who has been paid more than $250,000 in the last three fiscal years. It won’t surprise
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Buy high, sell low – make up losses with volume?
Is B.C.’s Site C dam a gateway to dirty energy?, Calyn Shaw, CBC News Network, December 22, 2014 The provincial government has made it clear that Site C is about meeting future electricity demands. But the province is currently energy self-sufficient; we are a significant net exporter of power. According
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: From the news archives: Site C history
Globe and Mail, October 4, 1979: British Columbia Hydro has announced plans to apply for approval for a hydro-electric power project at Site C on the Peace River… Globe and Mail, February 13, 1981: British Columbia Hydro has applied for a water licence to build the $1.95- billion Site C
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Hidden subsidies to big business
In June 2011, Postmedia reported comments about Site C by David Conway, Community Relations Manager with BC Hydro. When you get down to the cost per megawatt, this option even at 7.9 billion, this is one of the most cost-effective options for ratepayers in British Columbia.” Conway said the cost
Continue readingPolitical Eh-conomy: No to pipelines, yes to Site C?
Peace River Valley No to pipelines, yes to Site C? Here’s a piece I wrote for Ricochet after getting riled up by *some* of the arguments against Site C. The full piece is here. To shift off fossil fuels we’ll need more large scale, public energy infrastructure As the movement
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Certainty of Site C cost overrun is 86%
BC’s Minister of Energy said in mid October that the $7.9 billion budget for Site C had been examined by top international experts and was assuredly “reliable.” Two months later, Premier Clark revealed the dam budget had jumped to $8.5 billion. Days passed and when project approval was announced, the
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Lies my energy minister told me
October 15, I listened to Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett provide detailed assurance that, unlike budgets of numerous BC megaprojects that suffered runaway costs, the $7.9 billion Site C dam budget was final, fully reviewed by specialists and reliable because it included a contingency well above prudent amounts. Nothing
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