News Release - Thursday April 17, 2008

Vancouver, BC - The Wilderness Committee today sounded the alarm about legislation rapidly moving towards becoming BC law. Bill 15, the Utilities Commission Amendment Act, is waiting for Royal Assent in the BC Legislature, before becoming law.

Two years ago the government of BC passed Bill 30, which removes local community government oversight of private power projects. Now Bill 15 aims to significantly reduce the oversight of the BC Utilities Commission over private power projects. Bill 15 will largely strip the Utilities Commission of its independence and make it impossible to stop bad deals without the consent of the provincial government.

Currently, the BC Utilities Commission has the authority to order a stop to agreements made by the BC Government to purchase power from private producers if those agreements have prices set so high they are a bad deal for provincial ratepayers. Formerly the BCUC was tasked with protecting the best interests of British Columbians in regards to power purchases by BC Hydro.

“The result of this proposed law will come back to shock anyone who pays an electrical bill in this province,” said Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee Campaign Director. “Many of these proposed projects would not be possible, if not for the inflated rates that Bill 15 will facilitate. With the passage of Bill 15 the Utilities Commission becomes nothing but a toothless lap dog on a choke chain catering to the private power producers every desire.”

The Wilderness Committee believes that Bill 15 has been introduced because of the gold rush of private power developers currently staking hundreds of rivers and streams across the province. “The BC Government doesnt want to be embarrassed by the Commission telling the public that these private developers are being paid too much for their power,” said Gwen Barlee, Policy Director with the Wilderness Committee. “This Bill greases the skids for private power developers and leaves the public out in the cold.”

“As a result of Bill 15, we are going to see environmental degradation in streams where private power projects should never have been built and well see our power bills go through the roof,” commented Foy.

The Wilderness Committee opposes the passage of Bill 15, is calling for the repeal of Bill 30 and supports an immediate moratorium on private hydropower development in BC.

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For more information contact:
Joe Foy 604-683-8220 (work tel) or 604- 880-2580 (cell tel)
Gwen Barlee 604-683-8220 (work tel) or 604-202-0322 (cell tel)