Electrical Production in BC

BC is consistently needing to import electrical power. In 20 of the last 25 months BC has had to import power to meet the demand in BC. We seem to about 4,000 GW/h short per year of the power that we need.

The imported power is a mix of gas fired, coal fired and nuclear power. By not being able to even meet our own needs, we are increasing the demand for CO2 source electrical power. The power we had to import added 2.5 million tonnes in CO2 emissions in 2009, this does not count the need to run Burrard Thermal in the lower mainland.

The scope of scale of what we need in BC is larger than the Plutonic Energy Bute Inlet project, the biggest green project currently contemplated. The Bute Inlet project will only bring in 2900 GW/h per year. We are not only short, but we are falling further behind each year as our population grows.

Growth in demand will add the need for about 1500 GW/h per year. We need to build a Bute Inlet scale project every other year just to keep up with demand. If we want to get ahead of the the problem and become one of the major sources of a climate change solution we need to dramatically increase the speed at which more green power is brought online.

The opposition to green power production in BC does not seem to be related to any quantifiable environmental issues, it seems to be related to the fact that a Green Economy means businesses are going to be making money from saving the world. The opposition to green power in BC is harming the environment.

If I did not believe in conspiracy theories I would think that the opposition to green power in BC was some sort of funded campaign by the coal business. I find it crazy that the opposition to green power seems to be willing to ignore all the evidence in favour of environmental harm. The data is in, BC does not come close to producing enough power to meet our needs.

I continue to read all the websites and all the reports that relate to non storage hydro and I have to find anything that indicates a measurable environmental harm form non storage hydro. If anyone out there knows of a report that shows environmental damage, please send it to me.