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Energy expert counters BC electricity policy critics/Responses by MARVIN SHAFFER and JOHN CALVERT
Posted October 2nd, 2008
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VANCOUVER, Oct. 1 /CNKW/ - The Independent Power Producers Association of BC (IPPBC) today released an academic Peer Review by international energy expert Dr. Mark Jaccard that "validates the BC Energy Plan and the role ofindependent power producers (IPPs) in meeting BC's electricity supply needs," says IPPBC President Steve Davis.
The Association commissioned Dr. Jaccard to conduct an independent review of two controversial 2007 documents: 'Liquid Gold' by John Calvert and 'Lost in Transmission' by Marvin Shaffer. Dr. Jaccard's review is titled: Assessing BC Electricity Policy: Peer Review of two controversial 2007 documents.
On Liquid Gold, Dr. Jaccard states:
". . . Calvert's book is best read as a political propaganda tract rather than as an independent, unbiased analysis."
". . . the (BC) government's current electricity policies appear to have sound 'public interest' rationales, and these policies are consistent with those of governments in other jurisdictions, even jurisdictions with left-of-centre governments of the type that Calvert would presumably prefer to see here in BC."
“Proper consideration of the risk of very high prices for fossil fuel derived electricity within a decade would suggest a different strategy than Shaffer espouses. Indeed it would favour a resource acquisition strategy for BC Hydro that is very close to that currently being followed through the policy directives of the BC Energy Plan."
"These two documents have been used by political organizations and special interest groups in an attempt to justify their opposition to the BC government's Energy Plan and to IPPs," said IPPBC President Davis. "Dr. Jaccard agreed to review them on the contractual understanding his results were to be released publicly even if his findings were counter to the interests of the IPPBC. And, the Association was not entitled to review and comment on any drafts in advance of public release."
Dr. Jaccard is a Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University. He is a Panel Member of the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy and Special Advisor to the BC Climate Action Team (2008). He is a former Chair and CEO of the BC Utilities Commission (1992-97) and Chair of the BC Task Force on Electricity Market Reform (1997-98). He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 as a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Messrs. Calvert and Shaffer also are on the faculty at SFU. Mr. Calvert also is a Director of BC Citizens for Public Power (BCCPP), a group formed to oppose independent power projects. Other CCPP Directors include senior officials of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
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John Calvert responds: Letter to Editor submitted October 3/08 (unpublished)
Professor Mark Jaccard’s report, commissioned by the Independent Power Producers Association of BC, takes issue with a number of arguments and conclusions in my book Liquid Gold and with three studies of Dr Marvin Shaffer.
Professor Jaccard challenges my main thesis that the government has followed an incremental approach to privatizing BC’s electricity system through the Energy Plans of 2002 and 2007.
While he clearly has issues with some of the details of my book, I believe that my main argument is sound. Far from engaging in a ‘c"conspiracy thesis," I believe there is substantial evidence that the government is committed to shifting ownership and control of our electricity system to the private sector.
This is consistent with its other privatization initiatives, including privatizing ancillary services in health, expanding private liquor distribution, implementing infrastructure P-3s and numerous others.
Given that the government has sanctioned the privatization of one third of BC Hydro’s workforce to Accenture, transferred transmission operations to a separate company, banned BC Hydro from building small hydro and wind generation facilities, and awarded large numbers of water licenses and wind farm tenures to private interests, my conclusion that it has a privatization policy agenda is hardly inconsistent with the evidence available.
John Calvert
Vancouver, BC
Also, read an independent review of John Calvert's Liquid Gold by Sharon Beder, author of Power Play: The Fight for Control of the World's Electricity.
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Marvin Shaffer responds: October 8/08 (published at: http://www.publicpowerbc.ca/)
It is disappointing that former BCUC Chair Mark Jaccard has come to the spirited defence of the Province’s Energy Plan in his review of Lost in Transmission, a series of policy papers that critique the electricity self-sufficiency and other major provisions in the Plan. It is disappointing because the Energy Plan is fundamentally flawed from an economic, environmental and public policy perspective. The scenarios and arguments Jaccard presents in his review provide no justification for what the Plan is forcing BC Hydro to do, and his defence of the Plan may give it a credibility it does not deserve.
[Read more]
The Association commissioned Dr. Jaccard to conduct an independent review of two controversial 2007 documents: 'Liquid Gold' by John Calvert and 'Lost in Transmission' by Marvin Shaffer. Dr. Jaccard's review is titled: Assessing BC Electricity Policy: Peer Review of two controversial 2007 documents.
On Liquid Gold, Dr. Jaccard states:
". . . Calvert's book is best read as a political propaganda tract rather than as an independent, unbiased analysis."
". . . the (BC) government's current electricity policies appear to have sound 'public interest' rationales, and these policies are consistent with those of governments in other jurisdictions, even jurisdictions with left-of-centre governments of the type that Calvert would presumably prefer to see here in BC."
“Proper consideration of the risk of very high prices for fossil fuel derived electricity within a decade would suggest a different strategy than Shaffer espouses. Indeed it would favour a resource acquisition strategy for BC Hydro that is very close to that currently being followed through the policy directives of the BC Energy Plan."
"These two documents have been used by political organizations and special interest groups in an attempt to justify their opposition to the BC government's Energy Plan and to IPPs," said IPPBC President Davis. "Dr. Jaccard agreed to review them on the contractual understanding his results were to be released publicly even if his findings were counter to the interests of the IPPBC. And, the Association was not entitled to review and comment on any drafts in advance of public release."
Dr. Jaccard is a Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University. He is a Panel Member of the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy and Special Advisor to the BC Climate Action Team (2008). He is a former Chair and CEO of the BC Utilities Commission (1992-97) and Chair of the BC Task Force on Electricity Market Reform (1997-98). He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 as a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Messrs. Calvert and Shaffer also are on the faculty at SFU. Mr. Calvert also is a Director of BC Citizens for Public Power (BCCPP), a group formed to oppose independent power projects. Other CCPP Directors include senior officials of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
***********
John Calvert responds: Letter to Editor submitted October 3/08 (unpublished)
Professor Mark Jaccard’s report, commissioned by the Independent Power Producers Association of BC, takes issue with a number of arguments and conclusions in my book Liquid Gold and with three studies of Dr Marvin Shaffer.
Professor Jaccard challenges my main thesis that the government has followed an incremental approach to privatizing BC’s electricity system through the Energy Plans of 2002 and 2007.
While he clearly has issues with some of the details of my book, I believe that my main argument is sound. Far from engaging in a ‘c"conspiracy thesis," I believe there is substantial evidence that the government is committed to shifting ownership and control of our electricity system to the private sector.
This is consistent with its other privatization initiatives, including privatizing ancillary services in health, expanding private liquor distribution, implementing infrastructure P-3s and numerous others.
Given that the government has sanctioned the privatization of one third of BC Hydro’s workforce to Accenture, transferred transmission operations to a separate company, banned BC Hydro from building small hydro and wind generation facilities, and awarded large numbers of water licenses and wind farm tenures to private interests, my conclusion that it has a privatization policy agenda is hardly inconsistent with the evidence available.
Vancouver, BC
Also, read an independent review of John Calvert's Liquid Gold by Sharon Beder, author of Power Play: The Fight for Control of the World's Electricity.
*****************
Marvin Shaffer responds: October 8/08 (published at: http://www.publicpowerbc.ca/)
It is disappointing that former BCUC Chair Mark Jaccard has come to the spirited defence of the Province’s Energy Plan in his review of Lost in Transmission, a series of policy papers that critique the electricity self-sufficiency and other major provisions in the Plan. It is disappointing because the Energy Plan is fundamentally flawed from an economic, environmental and public policy perspective. The scenarios and arguments Jaccard presents in his review provide no justification for what the Plan is forcing BC Hydro to do, and his defence of the Plan may give it a credibility it does not deserve.
[Read more]