News Release, Premier's Office, Feb 3 2012

VANCOUVER - Premier Christy Clark today announced British Columbia's natural gas strategy will be established on a foundation of four priorities for long-term economic prosperity under the BC Jobs Plan.

By Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun, February 3, 2012

VICTORIA - Premier Christy Clark is making over her predecessors approach to energy self sufficiency to help make way for a significant expansion in the production of liquefied natural gas.

Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, Feb. 03, 2012

Victoria — British Columbia will abandon its current commitment to move the province back to a position of energy self-sufficiency, Premier Christy Clark is announcing today.

The watered-down version of the policy is being rolled out as part of a new energy strategy aimed at fuelling a new liquefied natural gas industry.

By Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, January 4, 2012

California’s new carbon cap-and-trade regulations, which came into effect Jan. 1, will require BC Hydro’s power exporting arm to buy costly carbon credits on its energy exports beginning in January, 2013, likely wiping out Hydro’s primary export market and increasing the cost of electricity to B.C. consumers in the process, a B.C. energy economist said Tuesday.

Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, Nov. 03, 2011

While the B.C. government was busy with what now stands as the province’s worst example of government communications on a major public policy – selling the harmonized sales tax – it discouraged BC Hydro from distracting the public with a sales job of its own.

JUSTINE HUNTER, Globe and Mail, Oct. 27, 2011

VICTORIA— BC Hydro is keeping rates artificially low by funnelling billions of dollars in expenses into deferral accounts, the province’s auditor general says.

Editorial, Vancouver Sun, October 29, 2011

Let's be clear - B.C. Auditor-General John Doyle's latest report on BC Hydro is not about a dispute over arcane accounting rules.

Auditor General of BC, October 2011

This report examines the implications of BC Hydro's use of rate-regulated accounting, which allows BC Hydro to establish deferral accounts into which it can "defer" expenses to future years.

By Marvin Shaffer, Vancouver Sun, October 25, 2011

BC Hydro will lose millions supplying new mines and LNG facilities; losses that will be passed on to consumers

By Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun, October 24, 2011

Smart meters emerge as a policy Waterloo for the Liberals and could become nails in Premier Christy Clark’s political coffin.

By Paul Willcocks, Times-Colonist, October 5, 2011

Smart meters were expected to be a big deal at the UBCM meeting in Vancouver.

The surprise was Solicitor General Shirley Bond's bombshell revelation that the federal government had issued a takeit-or-leave-it final offer for a new 20-year RCMP contract.

Les Leyne, Times Colonist, October 01, 2011

Premiers are always looking for a crowd-pleasing stunt for the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.

Four years ago, Gordon Campbell came up with smart meters.

It seemed like a natural. People love home electronics, don't they?

CBC News, September 30, 2011

[Excerpt] - Delegates at [the 2011 UBCM] convention in Vancouver also voted narrowly in favour of moratorium on BC Hydro Smart Meters, 55 per cent in favour and 45 against.

Tom Fletcher, Victoria View, September 10, 2011

I had a lively discussion with NDP energy critic John Horgan this week, after a presentation by independent power producers about the benefits of expanding the province’s small hydro and wind power network to replace coal- and gas-fired electricity. Here’s an edited transcript:

By Marvin Shaffer, rabble.ca, September 9, 2011

The headline in the Globe was certainly ominous -- "Clark's Hydro policy threatens to collapse B.C.'s climate change progress, scientist says."

By Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, September 8, 2011

The fight against climate change, partnerships with first nations and an emerging industry will all be undercut should the B.C. Liberals slacken their drive to make the province self-sufficient in electricity.

WENDY STUECK, Globe and Mail, Aug. 28, 2011

As the British Columbia government mulls its energy future, self-sufficiency remains a goal.

But the goal posts could move.

Kathryn Burnham And Larissa Johnston, Times Colonist, August 28, 2011

With smart meters rolling out across the province, some households are taking active steps to block the change at their homes. However, B.C. Hydro maintains there is no other option and that every house will have its old meter changed to the new Wi-Fi meters.

By Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun, August 20, 2011

Significantly reducing reliance on independent power producers would save utility hundreds of millions of dollars

BC Hydro CEO Dave Cobb says he disagrees with a government panel's suggestion that the utility's salaries are too high. (Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann, PNG Files, Vancouver Sun)

BC Hydro president Dave Cobb has told his staff that he expects Victoria to soon abandon its current energy selfsufficiency policy, a move that would free Hydro from buying hundreds of millions of dollars worth of electricity that it doesn't need from independent power producers.

Government of British Columbia, June 2011

Excerpt from the Executive Summary

On March 1, 2011, BC Hydro filed its most recent application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission, seeking approval for rate increases of 9.73% for each of the next three years (a cumulative increase of 32%). Significant concerns were expressed regarding the impact the rate increase would have on BC families and other power consumers. As such, the Premier and the Minister of Energy and Mines on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, as the sole shareholder of BC Hydro, requested a review of BC Hydro in order to provide recommendations and options for minimizing the rate increase.This was to be accomplished by examining both the operating and capital requirements for the corporation.

By Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun, August 20, 2011

Energy from independent sources historically pricier, but panel suggests it could lower rates

Intended or not, British Columbia's private-electricity sector has become a lightning rod for public attention thanks to the recent government review of BC Hydro's operations.

By Marvin Shaffer, Times Colonist, June 9, 2011

Utility forced under legislation to buy more power than it needs

If it is not already a fundamental law of economics, it should be: When government says we must pay whatever it takes, we inevitably pay too much. So it is with the B.C. government's energy policies.

By Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun, June 10, 2011

Easing the self-sufficiency requirement would reduce pressure on electricity rates

When the B.C. Liberals enacted their Clean Energy Act a year ago, they touted it as a route to "green energy, renewable energy," and above all, "electricity self-sufficiency."

Christopher Pollon, BC Business, June 6, 2011

Hydro rates are going up in B.C. – the only question is 
by how much.

By Marvin Shaffer, Vancouver Sun June 7, 2011

Government's cost-be-damned policies play significant role in forcing BC Hydro costs and rates higher

If it is not already a fundamental law of economics it should be: When government says we must pay whatever it takes, we inevitably pay too much. So it is with the B.C. government's energy policies.