Recently, Mr. Dave Conway, chief spokesperson for the Site C project, did an interview with CBC radio regarding the dam. One particular comment he made should concern all BC Hydro rate payers.
Mr. Conway stated that the Site C power would only be needed in a 20-40 year period, indicating that a shorter term demand for electricity is now unfounded.
Previous comments made on behalf of BC Hydro several years ago stated a need for the power within a 5-10 year period. That changed more recently, where Hydro indicated the necessity for electricity from Site C would be required in a 10-20 year period.
So, what is the real need or demand for this project? If the province required power in the next 20 to 40 years, why the rush for a Site C? It is unrealistic for Hydro to make such long range and expensive assertions. In 2015, BC Hydro paid $17.5 million to eight Independent Power Producers not to produce 300 gigawatt-hours of electricity. Clearly, there was no demand or need.
By Hydro’s own admissions now, the Site C dam will lose $800 million in the first 4 years of operation due to unneeded power. What they don’t tell us is what happens in the 5th, 6th or following years until we hit the benchmark of 20-40 years? The pattern suggests that we will continue to pay mightily for a boondoggle of a project regardless of any realistic need.
—Rick Koechl and Mike Kroecher, Charlie Lake
