DIY power producers clarify comments

Georgia Straight

15-Jun-2006

Your recent article “Act strips locals of power” [June 8-15] requires comment.

The person who described the Squamish Lillooet Regional District as holding up projects for “blackmail” was the president of the B.C. Construction Association in a Vancouver Sun article on November 7, 2003. I have never used that word.

Also, I would like to add some specificity to your article’s statement that the Independent Power Producers Association of B.C. is “blasting regional governments for being amateurs with an axe to grind who want to do their own reviews”.

The focused area of concern has been the Squamish Lillooet Regional District. No other regional government has imposed those rezoning charges, despite the SLRD’s encouragement of them to do so. Bill 30, by its nature, covers all regional governments.

Also, when regional governments duplicate the reviews of the work done by the 14 federal and provincial government agencies that issue the dozens of technical permits and licences for run-of-river projects, they are amateurs in those matters. Nonetheless, IPPs recognize that IPPs will continue to involve local communities in the design of their projects.

Bill 30 simply removes the veto power of the SLRD, or any other like-minded regional district, from withholding routine rezoning after an IPP on provincial Crown land has received all the other 50-plus permits, licences, and approvals. That is same way that BC Hydro power projects, mines, oil and gas, and forestry projects on Crown land are already treated. Now IPPs can better help B.C. reduce its chronic reliance on importing electricity from the U.S.

> Steve Davis, President / Independent Power Producers association of BC / Port Moody