Photo: Rally to save BC's rivers - Nanaimo 2008 - Friends of Bute Inlet

We hate to use the word in this context, but it certainly applies. Shocked. The British Columbia Utilities Commission just told British Columbians that pristine river areas don't have to be sacrificed like the provincial government would have had us believe.

The BCUC said basically the province doesn't need the power that Independent Power Projects would produce if they were given access to projects such as run the river hydro facilities.

The commission's ruling immediately verified the claims of opponents to run of river projects, who have said all along that British Columbia doesn't need the power.

The commission's ruling also questions the credibility of a provincial government that allowed hydro projects on pristine rivers and was planning to do the same with scores of others, all on the pretense that we needed the power.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in this area. The Toba Inlet run of river project by Plutonic Power is almost ready to go on line. The company has invested millions in that project and was planning on investing millions more for a similar project in neighbouring Bute Inlet.

Will the province still buy power from the Toba site? And is there any sense for the company to continue with plans for the Bute?