Private-power exposé should alert consumers

Thursday, October 4, 2007
Page: 11
Byline: Melissa Davis

Kudos to Matthew Burrows for his thoroughly researched exposé on the private-power takeover of BC rivers and streams-in the name of so-called green energy ["Electric companies", Sept. 27-Oct. 4]. It's already apparent that the dams and turbines being constructed by private-power producers throughout our province-promoted as clean and green sources of energy-will negatively affect fish and wildlife. Moreover, while positioning themselves as progressive environmentalists, the BC Liberal government failed to mention in their 2007 energy plan that their privatization of BC Hydro will ultimately penalize consumers through skyrocketing energy costs over the years.

Presently, the three jurisdictions with the lowest electricity rates in all of North America are provinces with publicly owed power utilities: BC, Manitoba, and Quebec. But the movement to privatize power, well underway in our province and now being debated in Quebec, will profit private companies while gouging residential customers.

Melissa Davis, Executive Director
BC Citizens for Public Power