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EAO: Port Alberni Cogen
EAO: Island Cogen
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Year 2004 News, January to December
Wind energy projects in BC
Status of wind in BC: good potential, four projects of which three need a customer (Hello, BC Hydro!)
... more
31 Dec 2004
BC Hydro to tweak Campbell River water flows
BC Hydro is determined to make a power plant at Duke Point part of its long-term plan to power Vancouver Island.
Grant Warkentin, Campbell River Mirror
... more
30 Dec 2004
Alcan settles Enron claim with Powerex for $110M US
Alcan Inc. announced Wednesday that it has paid $110 million US to Powerex, a subsidiary of B.C. Hydro, to settle a claim arising from the collapse of American energy trading company Enron. Alcan also announced that will stop selling 140 megawatts of power to BC Hydro as of 2009.
CBC Business News, 29 Dec 2004
... more
30 Dec 2004
Heroic efforts stopped GSX pipeline
The heroic efforts of many dedicated volunteers received short shrift in your recent editorial on the GSX pipeline’s demise (“GSX idea floats away;’ Dec. 22). Without this effort we would still be saddled with a bloated white elephant impeding other future energy options.
Peter Ronald, Letters, Victoria Times Colonist
... more
29 Dec 2004
BCUC panelist removed for apprehension of bias
GSXCCC lawyer Bill Andrews: "If it's okay for the member to sit on this panel then the conclusion would be that it's okay for the natural gas industry to regulate B.C. Hydro." Panelist Murray Birch removed himself from the panel following a tense debate between panel chair Hobbs and lawyers for most intervenors, including BC Hydro and Duke Point Power.
GSX CCC news release
Hearing Transcript Volume 4 - Pre-hearing Conference-Dec 22
... more
22 Dec 2004
News coverage of GSX cancellation
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun, 21 Dec 2004
Andrew Duffy, Times-Colonist, 21 Dec 2004
Aubrey Cohen, Bellingham Herald, 21 Dec 2004
The Province, 21 Dec 2004
Globe and Mail, Province, 21 Dec 2004
Steve Mertl, National Post, 21 Dec 2004
Robert Barron, Nanaimo Daily News, 21 Dec 2004
Editorial, Times-Colonist, 22 Dec 2004
Aaron Bichard, Cowichan News Leader, 22 Dec 2004
Andrea Rondeau, Cowichan Valley Citizen, 22 Dec 2004
Ladysmith Chronicle, 28 Dec 2004
Grant Warkentin, Campbell River Mirror, 29 Dec 2004
... more
21 Dec 2004
Lights finally go out on GSX Pipeline
GSX was doomed from the start. So many people on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland and Washington State have fought long and hard against the pipeline project and they all deserve credit for this great victory today.
GSXCCC news release
... more
20 Dec 2004
GSX Pipeline Project Cancelled
BC Hydro and Williams have today announced the cancellation of the Georgia Strait Crossing (GSX) pipeline project. The $340 million natural gas pipeline had been proposed by the two companies in 2000 as the best way to meet the demand for gas transportation along its United States route and to natural-gas fired electricity generation facilities on Vancouver Island.
BC Hydro news release
Williams news release
... more
20 Dec 2004
The Bottom Line
A wierd promotion for offshore drilling, that jumps from "Three sources of renewable energy" to "The record of safety in offshore drilling" in just three sentences.
Dr. Patrick Moore, The Province
... more
17 Dec 2004
JIESC minces no words with the BCUC
Power at $220/MWh?
Collusion between BCUC and BC Hydro?
You gotta be kidding!
JIESC Dec 16 Letter to BCUC.pdf
... more
17 Dec 2004
Ticking Time Bomb
The Arctic Council's recent report on the effects of global warming in the far north paints a grim picture: global floods, extinction of polar bears and other marine mammals, collapsed fisheries. But it ignored a ticking time bomb buried in the Arctic tundra.
John Atcheson, Baltimore Sun
... more
16 Dec 2004
Power plant plan creating unlikely allies
Some strange bedfellows are linking arms figuratively to try to stop the Duke Point power plant project at Nanaimo that BC Hydro is selling to private sector operator Pristine Power.
... more
16 Dec 2004
Hydro silent on payments to Island power producer
BC Hydro is coming under heavy criticism for its secrecy about the price it will pay for electricity from a proposed power generating facility on Vancouver Island.
... more
14 Dec 2004
CBC Yellowknife, on GSX and MGP
What was learned by a citizens' group on Vancouver Island in dealing with the NEB review of the GSX Pipeline? And does it have relevance to the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline Project?
CBC - Yellowknife
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04 Dec 2004
Gold River holds faint hope
The short-term future of Gold River is in the hands of the B.C. Utilities Commission. If the BCUC approves the deal between B.C. Hydro and Duke Point Power Ltd., it will all but kill plans to build a thermal generating power plant in Gold River. And in so doing will take away any economic certainty the village of 1,359 may have had.
Andrew A. Duffy, Times Colonist
... more
03 Dec 2004
Nai Kun Wind Project agreement with Haida Nation
The company which wants to install a large scale wind farm north of Haida Gwaii has made several steps forward in its agreements with the Council of the Haida Nation.
Leanne Ritchie, The Prince Rupert Daily News
... more
02 Dec 2004
Court rejects challenge to proposed pipeline
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected a pipeline safety group's challenge to a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross Whatcom County on its way from Canada back into Canada.
Bellingham Herald
... more
02 Dec 2004
Environmental Assessment for Duke Point Power
For people concerned about the Duke Point Power plant, winner of BC Hydro's CFT, it may be advisable to pursue the Environmental Assessment Office as well as the BCUC. Duke Point Power is probably writing to the EAO and the Minister right now, asking to have the VIGP certificate shifted to them. There is no mandated public process, no public notifications. So get your views in fast.
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20 Nov 2004
BC Hydro applies for EPA for Duke Point
November 19, 2004 BC Hydro has filed the following documents with the British Columbia Utilities Commission: BCUC has scheduled a Procedural Conference on 29 November 2004 regarding the regulatory process for the review of this EPA filing (BCUC Order G-99-04).
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20 Nov 2004
First Nations report on BC's offshore moratorium
Rights, Risk and Respect: A First Nations Perspective on the Lifting of the Federal Moratorium on Offshore Oil & Gas Exploration. More than 70 First Nations communities stated unanimously that they were opposed to lifting the moratorium
... more
19 Nov 2004
"Priddle Report" on BC's offshore moratorium
The "Priddle" report fairly represents and summarizes the views presented to the panel. 75% of the public are opposed to lifting the moratorium. Significant knowledge gaps exist. The panel recommends four options to government, and gives no preference to any of them. The four options are:
19 Nov 2004
Reliable, cost-effective power for the Island
BC Hydro's CEO Bob Elton gets space in the Vancouver Sun to promote the Duke Point Power project selected from Call for Tender (VICFT) process. But he doesn't address the shortcomings of the project nor of the CFT process.
Bob Elton
Special to the Vancouver Sun
... more
17 Nov 2004
Nov 26 deadline for EPA review
The BC Utilities Commission is already "expediting" its review of the Electricity Purchase Agreement (EPA) that it expects BC Hydro to file an application for on November 19. See Order G-99-04. Read, then write a letter
... more
16 Nov 2004
Coalition Against GSX Cites More Key Setbacks for Controversial Pipeline
Our coalition of organizations expects that BC Hydro will choose Terasen over GSX and will force the withdrawal of this proposal by Williams. If Williams does not withdraw GSX, we will continue to actively fight the implementation of this pipeline project that provides so little benefit to Washington State relative to its formidable environmental and safety risks.
... more
16 Nov 2004
The flaws in the Duke Point deal
BC's industrial electricity users say "the proposed award of a power supply contract to Duke Point Power Limited Partnership raises important concerns." Rising gas prices "will likely render the plant uneconomic for much of its useful life. We would hope that the BCUC will require BC Hydro to provide some real alternatives."
Dan Potts, Vancouver Sun
... more
16 Nov 2004
Alternative energy pathfinder: Who needs fossil fuel anyway?
Amory Lovins, the world's foremost renewable energy evangelist, says the United States can end its dependence on foreign oil and make money along the way.
Terence Chea,
Helena Independent Record
16 Nov 2004
... more
16 Nov 2004
Vision put forward of world without oil
Eventually people will have to find a way to live without oil - sooner rather than later. That's the message author and environmentalist Guy Dauncey brought to Nanaimo Wednesday.
Melissa Fryer, Nanaimo News Bulletin
... more
14 Nov 2004
Private power plant approved for Nanaimo
Vancouver Island residents are going to get a new natural gas-fired power plant at Nanaimo after all – just not one built by BC Hydro. The Duke Point partnership is majority owned by Macquarie Essential Assets Partnership (MEAP), Pristine Power Inc. of Calgary and a group of private investors. MEAP is part of the global Macquarie Group of companies, headquartered in Australia.
Mark Lowey
Business Edge
... more
11 Nov 2004
Jury still out on plant's savings
B.C. Hydro issued a call for tenders to which a number of companies responded, with one - a proposal by Pristine Power Inc. - being chosen. To no one's surprise, the proposal is for a natural gas power plant at Duke Point. So we're back to square one with a private company building it instead of BC Hydro. For anyone who believes that the private sector can do better than a government agency, here is an apples-to-apples comparison - except for the small print. The Pristine Power Inc. facility will indeed be cheaper to build, but that's thanks almost certainly to the groundwork already laid by B.C. Hydro.
Editorial Board, Nanaimo News Bulletin
... more
10 Nov 2004
San Juan County hearing examiner's decision on GSX overturned
San Juan County Board of County Commissioners overturned Hearing Examiner Wick Dufford's decision about the Georgia Strait Crossing Pipeline Project. The project includes a four-mile segment in county waters.
... more
10 Nov 2004
More illumination is needed on Hydro's Duke Point deal
The B.C. Utilities Commission will have to explain to ratepayers how they are better off with what is essentially the same (Duke Point gas-fired generation) project proceeding under private ownership a year after they told Hydro to think again.
Editorial,
Vancouver Sun
... more
09 Nov 2004
Island deal leaves Hydro on the hook for $70m
BC Hydro customers could be on the hook for $70 million in corporate writeoffs that were incurred during a controversial, drawn-out process to address a looming electricity shortfall on Vancouver Island.
Scott Simpson,
Vancouver Sun
... more
04 Nov 2004
Duke Point project to power Island
It may have a new name, new price tag and lower electrical output, but the Vancouver Island Generation Project appears to have risen from the dead.
... more
04 Nov 2004
BC Hydro picks gas-fired Duke Point Power; GSX remains undead
BC Hydro has announced its decision, following its year-long Call for Tenders (CFT) selection process: "Duke Point Power LP", a 252 MW MW gas-fired project in Nanaimo. Fuel supply for the plant is undecided, but the GSX Pipeline is clearly moving among the heap of BC Hydro's undead projects.
... more
03 Nov 2004
Nov 2: 6.7 Quake off Vancouver Island
November 2 2:02 am PST: A series of earthquakes has occured west of Vancouver Island, B.C. The largest event at 02:02 PST (10:02 UTC) was a Mw=6.7
... more
02 Nov 2004
Wind farm will sell power to B.C. Hydro
The Holberg wind-farm project is the first in B.C. to be given a contract to sell power to B.C. Hydro and it now has the environmental go-ahead from the province. Contrast with Seabreeze Power's Knob Hill project which has passed an environmental assessment, but has no customer.
... more
02 Nov 2004
Council delays action on pipeline
The Whatcom County Council decided Tuesday to take no action on the Georgia Strait Crossing natural gas pipeline project until pipeline backers submit a major project application.
... more
28 Oct 2004
Whatcom County Council remands GSX back to Hearing Examiner
The Whatcom County Council has spoken (for now)--unanimously! In a nutshell, a 7-0 vote to remand GSX back to the Hearing Examiner, pending an application for a "major development permit" on the part of GSX.
... more
27 Oct 2004
Independent power producers hopeful
Independent power producers are carrying high hopes for a surge in business opportunities into an annual conference that begins today in Vancouver.
... more
27 Oct 2004
Weather, demand blamed for income dip at BC Hydro
Depleted reservoirs and industry's growing appetite for electricity have cut an estimated $166 million from BC Hydro's projected net income for the current fiscal year, the Crown corporation announced Friday.
... more
23 Oct 2004
Reliable power, at low cost, for generations
BC Hydro is a public trust, and we employees of BC Hydro are stewards of it. That is not fashionable today – as a society we excel in being consumers more than we do in being stewards. But we owe it to our future, to build on our past. Our purpose is to supply reliable power, at low cost, for generations.
Bob Elton to the Vancouver Board of Trade,
October 22, 2004
... more
22 Oct 2004
CFT announcement delayed
BC Hydro has delayed the announcement of the Call for Tenders result, at one time scheduled for Oct 8, then to Oct 26, and now postponed likely to the week of Nov 1 - 5.
... more
22 Oct 2004
B.C. calls for open electricity market
B.C.'s energy minister said Thursday he wants to throw open British Columbia's electricity market to greater participation by the private sector.
... more
22 Oct 2004
Coal is the way to go for new power
For the sake of rural British Columbia, which is in dire need of an economic upturn, it's incumbent upon the province to dispel those myths that have made coal the black sheep of the energy industry. Demand for electricity is expected to rise dramatically. And coal power could fill the gap.
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16 Oct 2004
Williams intervenes in Terasen Resource Plan & LNG
Williams, BC Hydro's partner in the GSX Pipeline project, has filed as an intervener in Terasen's 2004 resource plan for Vancouver Island and their application for a permit for a liquid natural gas (“LNG”) storage facility. (This could prove interesting.)
... more
15 Oct 2004
Examiner backs shoreline permit
Whatcom Council Chairman Dan McShane said it was too soon to say when and how the Council will address the issue. He said the Council has three options: Refer the matter to the Planning Commission for further review, rule on the permit based on the evidence already collected by Bobbink, or schedule a new public hearing before reaching a decision.
... more
13 Oct 2004
Whatcom Hearing Examiner recommends GSX approval
The Whatcom County Hearing Examiner refers the matter of a shoreline development permit for GSX-US at Cherry Point, to Whatcom County Council for a decision, because it is a "major project". He also recommends that the county council approve the application. Michael Bobbink makes a number of important points, some contentious.
Whatcom Hearing Examiner's report
... more
11 Oct 2004
Call for Tenders results delayed to October 26
BC Hydro ducked the October 8 deadline they've had set for most of a year to announce the results of their Call for Tenders. The date has been pushed back to October 26.
... more
06 Oct 2004
Hydro back on California hook
B.C. Hydro has suffered a "major setback" in its long-running legal battle with California over the state's energy crisis, and could be back on the hook for more than $750 million US in refund payments to the state.
... more
06 Oct 2004
WA Dept of Ecology sets conditions for GSX
The Washington State Department of Ecology released a set of conditions that GSX-US must comply with if the project proceeds.
... more
29 Sep 2004
Judge to rule on pipeline shoreline permit
Whatcom County Hearing Examiner Michael Bobbink said Tuesday that he would issue a ruling within 10 days on a shoreline permit for a $248 million natural gas pipeline (the GSX) that would cut across Whatcom County on its way to Vancouver Island.
... more
29 Sep 2004
Knob Hill Wind Farm gets EA approval
The Knob Hill Wind Farm project has obtained an Environmental Assessment Certificate. Congratulations to the folks at Sea Breeze Power Corp. who have shepherded the project this far.
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29 Sep 2004
Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Airshed
The Characterization of the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Airshed study was undertaken to characterize the air quality within a rapidly growing, urbanized area of the Pacific Northwest, the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound air basin (the Basin).
... more
28 Sep 2004
Environmental & neighborhood groups say "NO TO GSX"
A broad coalition from Canada, Whatcom and San Juan Counties will reiterate their opposition to the GSX pipeline before the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner on September 28th
... more
25 Sep 2004
Panel OKs power plant at refinery
The 720-megawatt BP Cherry Point Cogeneration Project got a unanimous endorsement Friday from the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, sending the project to the desk of Gov. Gary Locke for final approval.
GSX-US will not provide gas for the BP facility.
... more
25 Sep 2004
Garbage in, garbage out
What do a folk singer and a potato farmer have in common? How about a dodgy investment scheme in power generation at Gold River that might actually see tons of Los Angelinos garbage pile up in Nootka Sound
... more
17 Sep 2004
Clean Air Summit, Thur, Sept 16, Duncan
The Clean Air Summit goes this Thursday, Sept 16, at the Silver
Bridge Travelodge in Duncan, 140 Trans-Canada Highway, 9:30 to 3:30.
... more
14 Sep 2004
Terasen applies to BCUC for LNG facility on Vancouver Island
Terasen's application for the Vancouver Island LNG facility puts in process another step in increasing the viability of the Terasen alternative to GSX, as it reduces uncertainty risks. Whether or not it gets built may depend on the results of the Call for Tenders. Industrial and residential demand does not at this time justify such an expensive undertaking.
... more
03 Sep 2004
Norske Canada Demand Management Proposal
NorskeCanada herewith submits its proposal for Demand Management in response to BCTC’s Capital Plan submission. We believe that this proposal will allow the most cost effective, reliable and flexible solution to be implemented for the capacity issues to and on Vancouver Island. Our proposal is based on Demand Management at our Elk Falls Mill (Campbell River) with an option for DM at our Crofton Mill.
Norske Canada Demand Management Proposal
... more
02 Sep 2004
State appeals ruling on Georgia Strait pipeline
The Washington State Attorney General's Office has appealed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling that prevents the state from issuing environmental permits for the proposed GSX natural gas pipeline through Whatcom County.
... more
31 Aug 2004
Alberta firm buys Kyoto emission credits
CALGARY - An Alberta electricity producer has become the first Canadian company to buy foreign emission credits under the Kyoto environmental protocol. TransAlta Corp. signed the deal Tuesday with a large Chilean food company called Agrosuper.
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27 Aug 2004
Gas plants are here to stay
The outcome of BC Hydro's Call for Tenders should surprise no one. The utilities commission only ordered the review because it wasn't convinced B.C. Hydro had done due diligence in making sure the gas plant at Duke Point was the cheapest for ratepayers. The outcome, however, has made a mockery of the goal of financial prudence...
... more
25 Aug 2004
Six bids submitted for Island power plants
B.C. Hydro has received six bids by private industry to offer better value than the natural gas power plant at Duke Point. Some of the alternatives, however, are looking remarkably familiar. Five of the six proposals are for natural gas plants, with at least one project involving a 255-megawatt gas power plant for Duke Point.
... more
25 Aug 2004
Gas plant coming to Ladysmith?
Ladysmith could be part of a multi-million dollar strategy by BC Hydro to add new sources of electricity to Vancouver Island. Among the six bidders who have submitted tenders to Hydro to provide a combined total of at least 150 megawatts of new power to the Island, is a 45-48 megawatt gas-generation plant slated for the Peerless Road Industrial Park just south of town.
... more
25 Aug 2004
GSX-US: Two Countries, One Pipeline
BC Hydro and Williams Pipeline Co. are jointly proposing a natural gas pipeline that would stretch 84.5 miles from Sumas to Vancouver Island, crossing Whatcom County streams and erosional bluffs. The project was initially routed through lower B.C., but was rejected by the Canadian government. Citing no apparent good for the county, both county staff and residents requested permits for the project be denied. So what’s next?
... more
24 Aug 2004
GSX-US: County pipeline hearing extended
Whatcom County officials and Williams' representatives of the proposed GSX natural gas pipeline disagreed Wednesday (August 17,2004) over possible impacts of the line and over whether the county had already granted it permits. Hearing Examiner Michael Bobbink scheduled a continuation of the hearing for 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 to get more information, and said he will accept written public comment until Sept. 1 (see contact info at end).
... more
23 Aug 2004
GSX-US: GSX Sunrise
This week we report on the Georgia Straits Crossing Pipeline (GSX), a privately owned natural gas pipeline planned to ram 33 miles across Whatcom’s norther tier east to west before plunging into coastal waters to service the growth of Vancouver Island. Whatcom County absorbs the impact of these projects but derives no benefit from them.
... more
23 Aug 2004
Island Cogen ownership change won't affect plant
Calgary-based PrimeWest Energy Trust is going to buy all of the petroleum and natural gas assets owned by California-based Calpine. Through the Calpine Power Income Fund, the company owns Island Cogeneration at the Elk Falls paper mill in Campbell River. The deal is worth about $806 million.
... more
23 Aug 2004
NorskeCanada bows out of Hydro bid process
NorskeCanada has pulled its bid from BC Hydro's Vancouver Island call for tenders process, leaving six groups vying for a contract to provide cost-efficient electricity.
... more
23 Aug 2004
BC Hydro receives six tenders in the Vancouver Island Call for Tenders
Six bidders have chosen to submit tenders to BC Hydro under the Vancouver Island Call for Tenders (VI CFT) process. Full evaluation of tenders underway, agreements to be awarded late October.
... more
23 Aug 2004
BC Hydro project could rise from ashes
B.C. Hydro's Vancouver Island Generation Project may be dead, but it's not beyond rising from the ashes. Among the six bidders who have submitted tenders to Hydro to provide new sources of electricity for Vancouver Island, is a 255-megawatt gas-fired generation project slated for Duke Point in Nanaimo.
... more
23 Aug 2004
Alarm raised over wood burner
Coastland Industries' proposal for a wood-burning boiler is generating opposition among its south Nanaimo neighbours. Janet Irvine is organizing a letter-writing campaign on the grounds the burner will create air pollution.
... more
22 Aug 2004
California EPA wants to spur solar-home development
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California officials are proposing that half of all new
homes in the state be running on solar energy in 10 years, an effort spurred by
$100 million in annual incentives paid for by electricity consumers.
... more
14 Aug 2004
Whatcom County staff recommend denial of permit to GSX
Based on the above findings and technical review, staff recommends denial of a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit and Shoreline Conditional Use Permit for Georgia Strait Crossing Pipeline, LLC to construct a natural gas pipeline from Sumas, Washington through Whatcom County, and the Cherry Point Industrial Area to serve Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada.
... more
03 Aug 2004
Natural gas crisis looms, study warns
North America is heading toward an inevitable natural gas crisis that will not end until dozens of liquefied gas plants are built, according to a new study. CERA says the United States should allow more exploration on lands considered taboo, such as offshore or in the Rockies. As well, the United States should ease some of its restrictions on coal-fired capacity. The CERA study, sponsored by the global consulting company Accenture ...
... more
19 Jul 2004
South Meager Geothermal Project
On July 16, 2004, Western Geopower Corp filed a "pre-application" with the Environmental Assessment Office for the South Meager Geothermal Project. (link). The company hopes to be generating 100 megawatts by 2007 from their geothermal resource north of Whistler.
... more
16 Jul 2004
Energy surplus predicted to last
Power from the wind and increased conservation will add stability to Northwest energy prices, according to a report presented Wednesday at a monthly meeting of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council in Spokane.
... more
15 Jul 2004
First permit approved for local wind power development
Land and Water British Columbia has finally approved the first permit for the Peace Energy Co-operative to begin working towards a wind farm on the Bear Mountain Ridge just southwest of Dawson Creek.
... more
15 Jul 2004
Nootka Earthquake hits Vancouver Island
VICTORIA - A moderate earthquake woke residents on north and central Vancouver Island just after five o'clock Thursday morning. Seismologists recorded a magnitude of 5.5 to 5.7.
... more
15 Jul 2004
What's BC Hydro done lately? Not much!
By Ian Cass Opinion Saanich News 14 July 2004 In the early 1990s, BC Hydro alerted the NDP government of the day about the future security of electric power to Vancouver Island. In 1996, a power producers panel was...
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15 Jul 2004
A warm welcome to the attitude change on global climate change
What is happening here? It would be stretching it to say the executives who believe climate change is an environmental and economic disaster in the making are finally winning the publicity war. But more and more of them say something has to be done. Credible executives are starting to argue that the naysayers may be wrong. If big oil companies say global warming can be controlled, why not urge them on?
... more
08 Jul 2004
Water powers the future at Site C
BC Hydro's oft-discussed $3-billion proposal to build a third dam on the Peace River near Fort St. John was back on the Crown corporation's agenda. It had been more than a decade since Hydro last put the controversial project in limbo. The first telephone calls about Site C came from reporters looking for a reaction from Hudson's Hope Mayor Lenore Horwood, whose quiet community already has two dams located at its outskirts -- the giant WAC Bennett and Peace Canyon dams. Horwood told them she didn't want to see another dam in the Peace River Valley.
... more
02 Jul 2004
Strong quake jolts coast
VANCOUVER - A powerful earthquake shook and rattled homes in the Queen Charlotte Islands, parts of northwestern B.C. and the Alaska Panhandle early Monday.
... more
28 Jun 2004
Hydro still wants rate hike
B.C. Hydro released much improved financial results Monday but said the stronger bottom line won't stop it asking for an 8.9 per cent rate increase despite protests from customers.
... more
15 Jun 2004
BC Sustainable Energy Association launches June 21!
Currently when the wind blows in British Columbia, no wind turbines collect its energy. When the sun shines on homes and buildings, few solar panels or water heaters collect its heat. When the tides roll through B.C.'s coastal inlets, no tidal turbines capture their awesome power. All this is about to change. The British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association (BC SEA) is being launched this week in Victoria, promoting much greater use of renewable energy in B.C. The GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition is proud to be a founding member of the BC-SEA.
... more
15 Jun 2004
Bellingham says "Never again"
HEALING SMILES: Peggy Lohse (left) shares a laugh with longtime friend Mary King at Bellingham City Hall on Thursday afternoon. King, whose son died in the 1999 Whatcom Falls Park disaster, said support from the community helped bring joy...
... more
11 Jun 2004
Lessons from Bellingham
On June 10, 1999, a gas pipeline in Bellingham's Whatcom Falls Park exploded, killing three young people. The legacy of that event is shared grief and sense of loss in the community that the city feels to this day, five years later. In British Columbia, we barely recognize the tragedy, the cause of it, and have learned nothing from it.
... more
10 Jun 2004
Whatcom Falls pipeline disaster - 5 years later
BELLINGHAM: The gasoline pipeline explosion in Whatcom Falls Park five years ago changed the way pipelines are regulated across the country, turned three families into safety advocates and created better emergency plans for city police and fire crews.
... more
10 Jun 2004
World Oil Demand Growth at 21-Year High
Economic expansion is fueling the biggest increase in world oil demand for 23 years, fired by accelerating growth in China, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday.
... more
10 Jun 2004
Power plants top Canada-US air polluters
Reuters, 06.02.04, 12:00 AM ET By Robert Melnbardis MONTREAL, June 2 (Reuters) - Coal and oil-fired power plants are the top air polluters in the United States and Canada according to most recent data, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation said...
... more
02 Jun 2004
Power plants top Canada-US air polluters
Reuters, 06.02.04, 12:00 AM ET By Robert Melnbardis MONTREAL, June 2 (Reuters) - Coal and oil-fired power plants are the top air polluters in the United States and Canada according to most recent data, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation said...
... more
02 Jun 2004
IPPs request review of Integrated Electricity Plan
The Independent Power Producers association of BC (IPPBC) requests that the BCUC conduct public a written and oral review that would focus on BC Hydro's current Integrated Electricity Plan (IEP). IPPs state that many planning issues are not appropriately addressed as part of the rate hearing for which the IEP was created.
... more
31 May 2004
Vancouver Island Electricity Supply Alternatives
Dr. Mark Jaccard, Rose Murphy and Nic Rivers prepared this March 2004 report which compares BC Hydro's preferred natural gas strategy for Vancouver Island with a portfolio of more environmentally benign alternatives, referred to as "Low Emission North Island". The conclusion favours the Low Emission portfolio, and calls for a full multi-attribute analysis of energy alternatives for Vancouver Island. Unlikely, now that most of the preferred portfolio has been excluded from the Call for Tenders process.
... more
31 May 2004
Industry group upset by coal plant rejection
Grant Warkentin, Campbell River Mirror ... article
An industry group believes Quinsam Coal's power plant proposal was rejected because BC Hydro was concerned about public reaction to coal power.
... more
30 May 2004
Hydro's $120-million Island power failure
VICTORIA - Thanks for the chance to come and talk to you about BC Hydro . . . and sorry about the $120 million we've probably lost on an ill-conceived power project and undersea pipeline.
... more
29 May 2004
Waiting costs Hydro $120m
Uncertainty over whether the proposed natural-gas pipeline under Georgia Strait and a large gas-fired electricity generation plant slated for Duke Point on Vancouver Island will ever be built has led B.C. Hydro to declare a $120 million writedown of planning costs already incurred
... more
28 May 2004
Increased uncertainty for GSX and VIGP
In a speech in Nanaimo this morning, BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton announced that
Hydro has opted to write down $120 million in sunk costs for GSX and VIGP.
Elton cautioned that this does not prejudge the outcome of the Call for
Tenders process, nor that either GSX or VIGP is dead. But subtitles in the
news release included the phrase "increased uncertainty for GSX and VIGP".
... more
27 May 2004
Aboriginal traditional knowledge in environmental assessments
Section 16.1 of the recently amended Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), gives responsible authorities conducting an Environmental Assessment the discretion to consider Aboriginal traditional knowledge..
... more
27 May 2004
BC Sustainable Energy Association
Do you want to see more use of sustainable energy in BC, as an alternative to the increasing use of oil, gas, coal?"
If your answers are ‘yes", then you are invited to join the BC Sustainable Energy Association (BC SEA). www.bcsea.org. They’re new, ambitious, and they'd love to have your support and participation.
... more
25 May 2004
sqwalk.com gets blogs!
sqwalk.com has moved to a new hosting service and we've implemented blogging software - making easier and faster updates to the website.
As the website for the GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition, we're paying attention to BC Hydro's schemes for gas-fired generation on Vancouver Island.
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25 May 2004
“Working Together for a Secure Power Future”
Thank you for the kind introduction and for the invitation to be here this morning. In the next few minutes I am going to tell you about some of the issues BC Hydro is facing as we plan for the future, and how we are going to overcome them.
Bob Elton, Speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade Breakfast, March 23, 2004
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23 Mar 2004
BC Hydro qualifies 11 bidders in the VI CFT process
Apr 30, 2004
VANCOUVER – Eleven of the fourteen bidders that made pre-qualification
submissions have pre-qualified to submit tenders to supply Vancouver Island
electricity requirements under the Vancouver Island Call for Tenders (VI CFT)
process. The tenders will respond to BC Hydro's requirement for dependable
capacity on Vancouver Island to help meet the Island's need for new electricity
supply. 9 are natural gas, including NorskeCanada, many of which will resubmit
the VIGP project. One wood waste. One water. NO COAL!
April 29 Announcement and List of Bidders ... html
Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun ... article
BC Hydro announces revised Call for Tenders rules
Mar 5, 2004
A better CFT after today, say critics, but still flawed with a bias
for VIGP, and gas, and still an impediment to getting going on a new
cable system. The three improvements in the CFT are:
- Transmission deferral credit dropped
- Partial Tolling/Commodity Only option added
- Hydro reserves right to change minimum portfolio size
The schedule has been delayed, moving the final electricity purchase agreement applications to BCUC, to November 4, 2004.
March 5 Announcement of revised CFT rules & schedule ... PDF
Addendum 10 to the CFT ... PDF
Revised CFT Schedule ... PDF
NEB denies Sumas Energy 2 powerline application
Mar 4, 2004
The international powerline (IPL) would have transported electricity from the proposed SE2 generation plant
to BC Hydro's Clayburn substation in Abbotsford. "The Board decided that it was unable to come to the conclusion
that the IPL would be in the Canadian public interest and would be required for the present and future public
convenience and necessity."
NEB announcement ... news release
NEB Reasons for Decision ... PDF (4.5 mb)
NEB Environmental Screening Report ... PDF
BC Government release ... news release
Hydro execs live it up on accounts
Expense accounts pay for top restaurants, hotels
Mar 1, 2004
Some of the expenses racked up by senior B.C. Hydro executives: $310 lunch for three at a golf club, $603 for a night
in a Chicago hotel, $4079 Vancouver-Ottawa return. The multi-million dollar hemhorrage that is GSX and VIGP leaks
right into the attitudes and pockets of Hydro execs...
Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun ... article
Fuel Safe Washington files GSX-US appeal
Feb 18, 2004
The US Federal 10th Circuit Court is being asked to rule that FERC's approval of GSX-US be "vacated" because
FERC did not have the jurisdiction over GSX-US and FERC's analysis under the National Environmental
Protection Act (NEPA) was "arbitrary and capricious".
Fuel Safe Washington ... PDF
GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition Amicus Brief ... RTF
BCUC encourages BC Hydro to proceed with Call for Tenders
Jan 23, 2004
The BC Utilities Commission has considered some of the criticisms of the Call for Tenders and dismissed most of
them, giving qualified approval to the CFT.
BCUC letter to BC Hydro ... PDF
GSXCCC summary of key points ... op-ed
Revised Call for Tenders, and application to BCUC for review
Jan 13, 2004
BC Hydro have submitted their revised Call for Tenders and other documents
(bidder comments, letter to BCUC) to the BCUC.
BC Hydro's Call for Tenders website ... website
Bidder comments ... PDF
Hydro plan for Island attacked
Jan 13, 2004
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B.C. Hydro's latest plan to address Vancouver Island's looming electricity shortfall is being condemned by the utility's top customers as self-serving and unlikely to provide the cheapest possible electricity supply to the Island. Powerful lobby groups such as the Joint Industry Electricity Steering Committee (JIESC) are suggesting Hydro can't let go of Duke Point, or the $340-million GSX. |
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Scott Simpson, Vancouver Sun ... article
GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition (GSXCCC) ... Word doc
Joint Industry Electricity Steering Committee (JIESC) ... PDF
Naniamo Citizens Organizing Committee (NCOC) ... Word doc
Norske Canada ... PDF
Norske Canada response to BC Hydro ... PDF
Vancouver Island Gas Joint Venture (VIGJV) ... PDF
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