[Abe Bourdon Letter re BC Hydro Debt – Aggregate Cost of Production – BC Clean Energy Act – BCUC – Clean Energy BC (Jae Mather, Judith Sayers) – Death Spiral – DTE Itron Smart Meters (Accuracy Tests, Analogs, Higher Bills Complaints, Jill Wilmot) – First Nations – Gordon Campbell – IPPs Purchase-contract Rates – Jayson Richards (Class-action Lawsuit) – LNG – MPSC (Sally Talberg) – New Relationship Trust – Peace River Farmland – PowerEx Subsidized Contracts – Shane Hernandez – Site C – Suzy Stansberry – Two-tier Bills – Western Economic Diversification Canada | Fort St. John, BC – Buel Township & Port Huron, Michigan, USA]
1) BC Hydro is putting many First Nations clean energy projects on hold, questioning the need for the energy given Site C is moving forward. What is really going on? Do you think BC Hydro fears that its death spiral is beginning?
(click on photos to enlarge)
First Nations energy projects on hold in B.C. Hydro review
“Fourteen “shovel-ready,” clean-energy projects are on hold while B.C. Hydro completes a review of its own operations and its place in the energy sector, including B.C.’s future power needs and climate strategy.
The wind, solar and hydro projects — totalling about 137 megawatts — have been approved under B.C. Hydro’s Standing Offer and Micro Standing Offer programs, many of them owned by, or in partnership with, First Nations.
But they’re in limbo, along with dozens of other projects First Nations are prepared to pursue, said Jae Mather, executive director of Clean Energy B.C.”
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/first-nations-energy-projects-on-hold-in-b-c-hydro-review
2) In response to Update June 27 https://www.energeticcity.ca/2018/06/bc-hydro-launches-fund-to-compensate-for-agricultural-impacts-of-site-c/ More BC Hydro failure to provide all the information to us???
“As I read this from Yellowknife I am perplexed by Hydro compensating farmers. My dear Abe has a friend living and working in Ft. St John. She was telling us, after talking with a person from Hydro, that the land on the shores of the Peace River has been owned by Hydro for eons. Hydro bought it before constructing Bennett dam. The farmers do not own this land, Hydro does. Our friend asked the Hydro spokesman why they did not tell the public the land belongs to Hydro. Spokesperson just shrugged. It all makes sense now. Taxpayers can now contribute to a $20 million fund for farmers who do not own the land…..for what?
Further, our friend has been a heavy duty equipment operator for 5 years, Level 3 First Aid ( highest you can obtain), an arborist, but can not get on at Site C. She has tried 4 times. Go figure.”
3) A very interesting letter in the 100 Mile Press. One major point made is that BC Hydro is selling power to the USA at a far lower rate than the combined one we rate-payers pay. Why should this ever be? But certainly, with the US Tariffs, this is one commodity we should not be providing at any rate, and most certainly not one that is subsidized by us.
LETTER: Re: Paying off B.C. Hydro’s debt, level the playing field
A letter to the editor by Abe Bourdon
“PowerEx, BC Hydro’s exporting arm sends electricity with a “blended” aggregate production cost of more than eight cents per kilowatt-hour to the United States for 2.33 cents. And the proposed Ajax mine at Kamloops, which according to their lawyers is still viable, had a contract with BC Hydro that would have supplied the mine with an amount of electricity equivalent to that used by the City of Kamloops, for 3.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.
It seems that in addition to having the responsibility for the payment of BC Hydro’s total debt-load, domestic rate-payers are forced to subsidize both American exports and selected industrial users like mines or LNG projects.”
[BC Clean Energy Act – http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/consol24/consol24/00_10022_01
& Part 5 Section 17 Smart Meters]
4) Michigan, where ITRON smeters are used. Huge increases in bills after smeters installed and for many months thereafter. A state politician wants some answers.
Hernandez seeks answers to DTE meter questions
“First, he said, are abnormally high bills — including a $1.9 million balance sent to a Brown City resident earlier this spring.
“One of my concerns with them is isn’t there some sort of control?” Hernandez said. “To me, that should be caught before that goes out.”
The other issue is complaints about DTE’s smart meters.
“One side really questioning the accuracy of the meter itself. That’s (the) tone where I think there could be more in-field testing done,” Hernandez said. “… I don’t’ know if there’s a way to put an analog meter at randomly selected residences. I think there’s a lot of distrust of the readings coming out of the smart meters.””
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“Courage my friends; ’tis never too late to build a better world.”
~ (Tommy Douglas)