Organizational Activities

BC Citizens for Public Power (BCCPP) was launched on May 8, 2002, and was established as a non-profit society shortly thereafter. Taking the reins from the Hands Off Hydro campaign initiated by BC Hydro's largest union, the Canadian Office and Professional Employees (COPE) Local 378, BCCPP's mandate aimed to both include and extend beyond the labour-related issues highlighted in earlier campaigns.

Established as a provincial, grassroots, advocacy organization, our mandate has exposed a broad range of issues of concern to British Columbians, including: the partial privatization of BC Hydro; the impact of privatization on electricity rates; and the environmental threats to BC's precious natural resources through the construction and operation of private power plants.

BC Citizens for Public Power has an extremely proud five year history, with many accomplishments and an ongoing commitment to protect and restore public power in our province. Since our launch in 2002, we have:

  • Gained the support of more than 75,000 British Columbians for a class action lawsuit against the privatization of one-third of BC Hydro to Bermuda-based Accenture
  • Communicated our public power message directly to over 1 million British Columbians through targeted mailings and, informally, to well over 1 million more through newspaper and outdoor advertisements, public meetings, and media stories
  • Constructed a database of more than 20,000 financial supporters, including businesses, community organizations and groups, as well as thousands of individual BC residents
  • Received statements of support in the fight against privatization from three former BC Premiers—Dave Barrett, Bill Vander Zalm, and Mike Harcourt—as well as numerous prominent British Columbians, including: David Suzuki, Robert Bateman, Ken Georgetti, Larry Campbell, Archbishop David Crawley, Adriane Carr, and Joy MacPhail
  • Obtained the backing of the Union of BC Municipalities, representing the province's cities, towns, and villages, to keep BC Hydro publicly owned and operated
  • Brought California Power Authority Chair David Freeman to BC to warn against selling off BC Hydro and ending up—like the state of California—with skyrocketing energy rates
  • Commissioned Power Grab in 2002, an analysis of BC's privatization plans by Sierra Legal Defense (now: Ecojustice)
  • Attracted the attention of numerous provincial politicians, including BC Liberal MLA Jeff Bray who, in 2003, complained in the Legislature that: "Citizens for Public Power has generated a lot of issues around BC Hydro and there's no question that in my community, correspondence relating to BC Hydro and public ownership of BC Hydro has probably been the single biggest issue that I've dealt with over the last two years."
  • Challenged publicly, and at the BC Utilities Commission, electricity rate increases implemented as a result of the partial privatization of both BC Hydro and the use of private power producers
  • Collaborated on the production and distribution of numerous publications and resources related to the deregulation and privatization of BC Hydro
  • Joined with community and environmental groups to oppose private run-of-river (ROR) power projects and provincial legislation removing municipalities' right to regulate them
  • Assisted Kitimat City Council in its demand that Alcan not be allowed to export electricity to the United States instead of producing aluminum
  • Called for an Auditor-General's inquiry into BC Utilities Commission's bias favouring private power producers and major industrial users over consumers in awarding them funding to participate in hearings
  • Held numerous community meetings and rallies in support of public power and to oppose the privatization of BC Hydro
  • Supported the publication of BCCPP Board member Dr. John Calvert's new book Liquid Gold, an alarming but thoroughly researched exposé of the provincial government's plan to transfer control of BC Hydro from public to local and foreign private interests
  • And much, much more.

 

BCCCPP recently produced a Five Year Progress Report that summarizes some of our key achievements and provides an accounting of financial activities since our organization was established in 2002.

But despite these successes, fighting for public power has also been a challenging struggle.

A financial crisis caused by escalating legal and operating costs led BCCPP to discontinue its class action lawsuit and lay off its staff in 2006. During that period, our volunteer Board of Directors worked hard to keep the privatization of BC's electrical power in the public eye without staff and with minimal resources.

In July 2007, sufficient funding was secured and a full-time Executive Director was hired with a mandate to revitalize BCCPP and work with supporters and allies throughout BC to stop the provincial government's massive privatization plans.

Now we face new threats: the BC government's intention to have 40% of all electricity supplied by for-profit power producers by 2020; environmental damage caused by so-called "green" run-of-river power sources; integration of BC's electrical system into a US-dominated North American grid; and loss of local government control over private power plants.

It's a tough challenge, but this is a resourceful and dedicated organization that—with the help of our supporters—is determined to succeed.

Read more about our earlier activities, including the outcome of our 2002 class action lawsuit.