BC-SEA Watt's Happening, Jan 2005

BC SEA
Watt's Happening?
January 2005

A Monthly Letter from the BC Sustainable Energy Association

Dear Friends and Fellow BC SEA'ers,

We've got an exciting and a critical few days coming up, when the future of our electricity supply for Vancouver Island will be decided.

And we need your help!

The Duke Point Follies
At issue is BC Hydro's determination to build a 252 MW gas-fired power plant at Duke Point, in Nanaimo. I won't go into the details, as they're laid out on our website at http://www.bcsea.org, and in EcoNews at http://www.earthfuture.com/econews. There are also many good stories at http://www.sqwalk.com/home.shtml.

In a nutshell, the project is going to cost $280 million in hard cash, plus $2.5 billion in additional costs for natural gas, since price inflation is guaranteed. All this, just to bridge a possible peak power gap that may arise on a few cold days in the winter of 2007/8, since BC Hydro is choosing to zero-rate the subsea cable to the mainland 8 months before its replacement can be installed.

It just doesn't make sense. If the BCUC rules in favour of the plant at the Hearing in Vancouver, starting January 17th, it will set back the possibilities for green, sustainable energy on the Island for many years. And, gosh darn, that just don't seem right!

There is some hope that we might just win this battle if people speak up. We understand that the BC politicians and bureaucrats are very worried about the project, and likely to be swayed by public opinion. It's got "Fast Cat Ferries" written all over it.

So can you help, by adding your shoulder to the shove?

1. If you live on the South Island, there is still time to ask to speak at the Nanaimo Town Hall Meeting scheduled for this Saturday at the Coast Bastion Hotel, Malaspina Room. You must register by this Tuesday 11th by phoning Gordon Fulton (604) 687-6789 or emailing gfulton@boughton.ca. Don't say you represent the BC SEA, because the BCUC is taking the line that since we are an Intervenor, we've had our chance to speak.

2. If you live on the South Island and don't want to speak, you could still come to Nanaimo this Saturday to join the audience in the Coast Bastion, and the creative protest that will be happening outside the Hotel from 12-1pm, with hand-drummers, and three of the Gabriola Island Positive Energy Quilts. If you'd like to share a ride from Victoria, call Bill Pearce at 250-595-4994.

3. We need a deluge of letters, phone calls, and emails pointing out how ridiculous this is, sent to the BCUC, with copies to politicians and the media. The contact details are below. So read the articles, put your brain in gear, and enjoy yourself! As I said, we need all the help we can get.

More news soon! Watch our website at http://www.bcsea. And now: please get those letters and emails flowing!

With best wishes,
Guy Dauncey
President, BC SEA
http://www.bcsea.org

Duke Point: Please write to:

BC Utilities Commission:
Mr. Robert J Pellatt, Commission Secretary
BC Utilities Commission, Sixth Floor, 900 Howe Street, Box 250, Vancouver V6Z 2N3
Email: commission.secretary@bcuc.com

Gordon Campbell, Premier:
gordon.campbell.mla@leg.bc.ca
c/o Legislative Assembly, Victoria V8V 1X4

George Abbott, Minister of Sustainable Resource Management
Phone 250-356-9076
P.O. Box 9054 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria V8W 9E2
George.Abbott.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy & Mines
richard.neufeld.mla@leg.bc.ca
c/o Legislative Assembly, Victoria V8V 1X4

Mike Hunter, MLA
Mike.Hunter.MLA@leg.bc.ca
c/o Legislative Assembly, Victoria V8V 1X4

Bill Barisoff, Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection,
bill.barisoff.mla@leg.bc.ca
PO Box 9047, Stn Prov Gov't, Victoria V8W 9E2

Honourable Joy McPhail
joy.macphail.office@leg.bc.ca
Room 104, Parliament Buildings, Victoria V8V 1X4

Letters to The Editor, Please!
Gabriola Sounder
Editor: Sue deCarteret
sounder@island.net

Harbour City Star
Editor: Terry Denomme
citystar@island.net

Nanaimo News Bulletin
Editor: Kevin Laird
edit@nanaimo.vinewsgroup.com

Nanaimo Daily News
Editor: Peter Godfrey
dnews@island.net

Times Colonist
Letters to the Editor
letters@tc.canwest.com

Vancouver Sun
Letters to the Editor sunletters@png.canwest.com

CBC RADIO
The Early Edition
earlyed@vancouver.cbc.ca

On the Island
victoria@cbc.ca 250-360-2227

BC Almanac
almanac@vancouver.cbc.ca

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BC Sustainable Energy Association
395 Conway Rd, Victoria B.C. V9E 2B9
(250) 881-1304
http://www.bcsea.org