The B.C. Utilities Commission barely made the cabinet-imposed deadline for a preliminary report on Site C this week, posting the findings just four hours before the clock ran out at midnight Wednesday.
VICTORIA — The B.C. Utilities Commission barely made the cabinet-imposed deadline for a preliminary report on Site C this week, posting the findings just four hours before the clock ran out at midnight Wednesday.
It’s too early to say whether the B.C. Hydro Site C project can be completed on time and on budget, according to a preliminary report from the B.C. Utilities Commission.
In its report on the $8.8-billion hydro-power project, filed late Wednesday to meet a provincial government deadline, the Commission said the project is currently on time and, indeed, has a year’s worth of contingency time built in. It says B.C. Hydro appears to be pushing ahead more aggressively than planned and if it experiences no delays, it could be producing power a year ahead of schedule, in 2023.
Last week, Prof. Mark Jaccard penned a passionate defence of Site C in order to meet environmental standards in 2050. His aims are honest. His environmental goals are imperative. Sadly, his utility planning skills may not be up to the task.
Karen Goodings avoids the Site C dam area on the Peace River because she finds it too heart-wrenching to look at the havoc caused by construction work, but, for the first time in years, she is now holding out hope that the $8.8-billion project will be scrapped.
“I want to see it permanently stopped and now I think there is enough information out there to talk about alternate sources of power that are more economical and less devastating,” said Goodings, a Peace River Regional District director.
Take action tomorrow, Wednesday at 12:30 p.m to show the BCUC you care about the Peace River Valley! Join this press conference in person, on-line, by phone or via live stream.
The public community input sessions are an opportunity to provide or listen to feedback regarding the inquiry’s preliminary report. They are open to all members of the public but in the interest of enabling broad participation, individuals are asked to pre-register for only one session shown below as “Available”
Pricing carbon and phasing out fossil fuels will drive up costs for households and businesses, but the transition is necessary and will become more expensive if it is delayed, the Conference Board of Canada concluded in a report issued earlier this week.
