Water

WaterfallBritish Columbia is renowned for its spectacular natural beauty, with many ecosystems. Our precious resources also include thousands of wild rivers and creeks, nestled within steep valleys and forested mountains.

BC’s creeks and rivers provide us with multiple benefits: fresh water, drainage, irrigation, recreation, tourism, and hydroelectricity. Ecologically, our waters are home to thousands of aquatic species such as coho, Chinook, pink, and spring salmon, as well as habitat to numerous terrestrial species, from grizzly bears to tiger salamanders.

Unfortunately, though, British Columbia’s rivers are at risk.

In 2002, the provincial government arbitrarily banned BC Hydro, a Crown Corporation, from producing any new hydroelectric power. Instead, BC Hydro was forced to purchase additional energy from private power producers, often at double the price of current market rates.

This policy change led to a gold rush by private corporations seeking to develop hydroelectricity from BC’s creeks and rivers. Today, over 600 water licenses have been granted to private power producers.

There are many problems with independent power projects (IPPs). Each new development requires roads, logging, transmission lines, dams, river diversions, powerhouses, and ongoing maintenance. And since the BC government approaches each project individually, it has failed to address the cumulative environmental impact of hundreds of such developments.

Run of River Map Run-of-river (ROR) power projects—frequently touted as the modern day clean, green energy solution—are not, as we are led to believe, free-flowing rivers with a small electricity generating turbine. With RORs, typically up to 80-90% of the river is diverted into a pipe, known as a penstock, which directs water downhill several kilometers to a turbine that generates electricity. Before the water is returned to its source, there is just minimum flow left in the river.

Since IPPs are almost fully automated, they are vulnerable to malfunctions. One such malfunction happened at the Miller Creek plant near Pemberton, BC in September 2007. An accident resulted in a critical low water incident when water was unable to flow into the creek for several hours. The alarm system failed and the creek, containing important populations of bull trout, whitefish, and salmon, was reduced to just inches of water.

Environmental checks and balances are sorely lacking in ROR projects. The BC Environmental Assessment process offers scant protection. An assessment is only applied to projects over 50 Mw, so many IPPs are overlooked.

Private power projects also raise serious concerns about energy security. In paying for private hydro through Energy Purchase Agreements (EPAs), British Columbians are assuming the capital costs for these projects. But when the 30-40 year contract periods expire, the public won’t own any assets. And at the end of these agreements, power in BC could be exported to the US or sold to whichever region can afford to pay top dollar.

Recently, the provincial government withdrew the rights of local communities to refuse private power projects in their jurisdictions. In 2006, as a result of dozens of IPPs slated for development in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, the Squamish Lillooet Regional District requested a regional planning process for the area and would not approve a large IPP slated for construction on the Ashlu River. In response, the BC government rescinded zoning rights from municipalities, thereby revoking their authority to approve or reject private power projects.

Ultimately, through privatization of hydroelectricity, the BC government has given away an invaluable natural resource to private corporations. This giveaway not only threatens the ecological integrity of hundreds of BC rivers, while enriching developers, it undermines the ability of the province to control future energy development and engage in coherent energy conservation initiatives.

BC Citizens for Public Power is committed to standing up for public power—now and for future generations.

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