Duke Point power plant appeal expected to be filed this week

Robert Barron
Nanaimo Daily News
24 Feb 2005

An appeal of last Thursday’s decision by the B.C. Utilities Commission to allow a gas-fired electrical generation plant at Duke Point is expected to be filed with the B.C. Court of Appeal by the end of the week.

Brian Battison, a spokesman for the Joint Industry Electrical Steering Committee (JIESC), said the committee is filing the appeal based on the manner in which the BCUC review process of the planned $280-million 252-megawatt plant was conducted,

“We’re in the process of coordinating our activities to get the appeal filed as soon as possible,” he said.

“The court will decide when we’ll get our hearing, but we expect the court will hear our appeal pretty quickly. We’re hoping to have the BCUC decision overturned, and we understand some of the other groups opposed to this project may cooperate with us in this appeal as well.”

The JIESC, which represents the major industrial users of purchased electrical power in the province’s pulp and paper, mining and mineral processing and electro-chemical industries, was an intervener during the BCUC review process of the proposed plant, which is to be built and operated by Alberta’s Pristine Power who will sell the power to B.C. Hydro.

The JIESC has adamantly maintained that there are more inexpensive ways to meet Vancouver Island’s energy needs than building the plant, and has stated B.C. Hydro’s Call for Tender process, that resulted in Pristine being chosen to build the plant, effectively eliminated all other applicants but those advocating building a gas plant.