Editor:
There has been much talk lately on whether B.C. should forge ahead with the building of the Site C Dam. The NDP argue against it while other people say we should avail ourselves of green energy from independent power producers. Some say we need neither, and I would disagree with them.
In my opinion, doing nothing would be very short-sighted and would repeat a costly mistake made by the NDP government of the 1990s. Back then, the NDP government froze BC Hydro rates for purely political reasons and starved BC Hydro of the financial resources needed to expand and maintain the province’s aging hydro dams and keep electricity distribution and transmission systems in top working order.
BC Hydro has more than $14 billion worth of infrastructure upgrade and renewal projects that have either already been completed, are in progress or under consideration, including the $8 billion Site C dam project. These infrastructure renewal projects, including Site C, along with conservation efforts and acquiring renewably-sourced electricity from independent producers, are key to restoring B.C. to electricity self-sufficiency and allowing our province to regain its status as a net electricity exporter.
Staying the course with the forward-thinking policy of electricity self-sufficiency will allow us to leave a legacy of clean energy for future generations at affordable hydro rates.
David Field, B.C. Citizens for Green Energy
