The mismanagement of BC Hydro should be considered a massive scandal and the defining issue of the upcoming provincial election. Since the B.C. Liberals took office, they turned the corporation from a cash cow into a nearly bankrupt utility that is now in debt to the tune of some $22 billion. Consequently, hydro rates for British Columbians have increased by 34 percent (adjusted for inflation) since 2001 and will need to increase much more to cover the increasing debt.
The BC government’s worst decision was to build the Site C dam, which plans to flood 31,000 acres of prime agricultural land, destroy key wildlife habitat, violate the rights of First Nations, produce expensive power we do not need and cost upwards of $9 billion or, likely, billions more given ongoing problems with soil stability and usual cost overruns. The B.C. Utilities Commission was established to vet decisions like Site C, but this was disallowed because the commission would likely not have supported the dam.
Given the high costs, lack of demand and many negative impacts, why is the B.C. Liberal government so determined to build the Site C dam? Perhaps it is a payback to the construction companies who have been donating to the B.C. Liberal Party and as a result will reap millions of dollars in profits. Hopefully, British Columbians will focus on BC Hydro mismanagement and our escalating electricity rates when we vote them out on May 9.
Len Walker
Bowser