Clean Energy Act guts the role of the BC Utilities Commission

BC Liberals use legislation to remove the ability of the regulator to protect British Columbians

May 4, 2010, Vancouver, BC –– “With the Clean Energy Act, we are witnessing how, under the BC Liberals their determination to get what they want is being manipulated and increased through legislation,” said Green Party of BC Deputy Leader Julius Bloomfield. “While the Green Party of BC is disappointed that the Liberals have used the Clean Energy Act to reduce the oversight power of the BC Utilities Commission, we are not surprised. After all, the Premier hinted that he would do so after the BCUC rejected BC Hydro’s call for clean power as not in the best interest of British Columbians in the fall of 2009.

“After the BCUC shut down the Run of Rivers applications, we wondered how long it would take for the government to retaliate. Within the Clean Energy Act, the BCUC has had its power stripped down so it is nothing more than a rubber stamp department whose criteria are to be set by the cabinet. The BCUC no longer has control over major project applications or rates charged to the consumer. The watchdog has been muzzled, maybe even had its vocal chords removed!

“Is this revenge or planning for future projects? Let’s take a look at the agenda. The government wants Site C – badly. It also wants Run of River – badly. BC Liberals claim the power from these projects is for use within BC using press statements like the one on Site C which said there would be “enough power for 450,000 homes”. But the truth may be a little different. Oil and gas fields in the northeast need plenty of cheap power, and a transmission line from Site C to the Horn River shale gas basin is proposed. And, guess who needs gas? The Alberta Tar Sands!

“As well, the Liberals have been vocal about wanting to export more power to California and BC has been lobbying California legislators to relax state’s green energy requirements which currently exclude most Run of River projects and Site C.

“BC is blessed with a reasonable, economical, easily maintained and emission free system of power generation. With reasonable action to develop sustainable power generation and concentrating on conservation to complement our existing system, BC could be in an ideal position to create plenty of real “clean power” for future generations. But that would take leadership and vision which this government lacks.

“So with the stroke of a pen and a vote in the legislature BC will have a new system of power development in BC which cuts out BCUC, an agency whose mission is ‘to ensure that ratepayers receive safe, reliable, and nondiscriminatory energy services at fair rates from the utilities it regulates.’ In other words BCUC is there to protect us and it will no longer be allowed to do so,” concluded Bloomfield.