Re: The end of public power production in B.C. (Grand Forks Gazette June 16, 2010).

Roy Ronaghan’s June 16 column is filled with inaccurate and misleading information about renewable green energy production in B.C.

Mr. Ronaghan claims that B.C. is “self-sufficient in electric energy” and that we are a net exporter of electricity. B.C. is very clearly a net importer of electricity, and in the case of BC Hydro, a significant importer indeed. 

The question of whether B.C. is a net importer or net exporter of electricity recently attracted the attention of Professor George Hoberg of UBC’s Department of Forest Resources Management.  Professor Hoberg delved into the question and from an objective academic perspective determined that B.C. as a whole is now a two percent net importer of electricity.

That net percentage is even greater for BC Hydro; and according to BC Hydro’s annual reports, last year was the ninth year out of the past 10 in which BC Hydro has been a net importer of electricity, with all indications pointing to this year being yet another net importation year for the organization.

B.C. can only be seen as a five percent “net exporter” of electricity—as Professor Hoberg determined in his analysis—if you lump in B.C.’s share of the electricity generated in the United States under the Columbia River Treaty along the Columbia River system. 

However, you cannot really consider electricity generated in the United States under the Columbia River Treaty to be an electricity export from B.C. Moreover, there is no direct transmission line from the Columbia River generating facilities to bring that electricity conveniently into B.C. 

As such, BC Hydro’s Powerex subsidiary has always sold B.C.’s share of the Columbia Treaty electricity on the American market, and in the process generated considerable revenue for the people of this province. The sales revenue generated by Powerex is one of the reasons why electricity rates in B.C. are so low.

Even if a transmission line to B.C. from the Columbia River generating plants was constructed, the electricity we would obtain would not be enough to match the growth in B.C.’s population over the next few decades. And the loss of Powerex sales revenue from B.C.’s share of the Columbia Treaty electricity would cause hydro rates in B.C. to rise.

Additional information is available on our BCCGE website (www.greenenergybc.ca) and on our BCCGE Livewire blog.