Media Release - For Immediate Release - November 25, 2002
Green Party Condemns BC Government's New Energy Plan
Token Moves Towards Renewable Energy Overpowered by
Fossil Fuel Agenda
Foreign companies to be given unfettered access to building new plants for
energy export to the US
"The BC Government's energy plan puts BC's future energy security and
environmental health at risk," says Adriane Carr, Leader of the BC Green
Party. Carr, who attended the government's release of its energy plan in
Victoria today, says "instead of four strong pillars to this plan I see
four big problems: the increased dependence on fossil fuels, reliance on the
private sector for all new electricity generation in BC, privatization
of the "brains" of BC Hydro and the break up of BC Hydro into
a new corporation aimed at shifting energy production in BC towards export.
This is not good news for British Columbians or our future. It was good news
only for the many black-suited men representing the big energy corporations
present at the government's announcement."
"It's ironic that, just as our Federal Liberal Government is wisely
pressing forward to ratify the Kyoto Accord to cap and reduce our country's
CO2 emissions, the BC Liberals presented a plan to accelerate BC's
extraction and use of fossil fuels--the main contributor to greenhouse
gasses--including plans to fast-track development of offshore oil and
gas and entice the private sector to build coal-fired electricity plants
by reducing pollution standards," says Carr. "The BC Government has
its head stuck in the sand on the issue of global warming--which is totally
irresponsible, especially given the devastation of climate-related pine beetle
infestations in BC's interior forests," added Carr.
Carr also expressed concern today about the privatization of BC Hydro and new
energy production, stating "No matter what Energy Minister Richard
Neufeld says about keeping BC Hydro in public hands, his plan to contract out
the administration and management of BC Hydro is privatizing the brains of the
corporation. In addition, all new energy production in BC will be done by the
private sector and the new crown corporation, BC Hydro Transmission, was
created precisely to meet private sector and export needs. Wherever
there's been privatization, electricity costs have gone up."
The BC Green Party supports independent power production--as long as its
clean and green and stays in British Columbians' hands. The Liberals' plan
opens the door to an American corporation building a coal-fired electricity
plant-- in Hat Creek for example-- and building the transmission lines
to take the energy directly to the U.S. BC could be reduced to being a cheap
and dirty energy source for US industries, leaving British Columbians with the
pollution.
"The BC Liberals are out of step with the rest of the world," says
Carr. Smart and responsible governments are decreasing their dependence
on fossil fuels and heavily expanding into clean, renewable energy production,
especially wind energy. They're finding it's good for business and good for
the environment. Denmark, for example has more than 10,000 clean energy jobs
and $10 billion US in exports of wind energy technology. "Instead
of a voluntary commitment to obtain 50 percent of new energy from renewable
sources, BC should be requiring that all new energy be clean and green and
that producers be BC-based. This would increase BC jobs and domestic
energy security," explained Carr.
"The Liberals' plan will inevitably increase domestic electricity costs,
accelerate global warming, add to health costs, and undermine domestic
energy security. In short, it's a disaster," Carr concluded.
For more information contact Adriane Carr (cell)
1-604-740-1321