BC Creek Protection Society

Full Press Release (PDF)

For Immediate Release: August 13, 2007

Two new reports help answer questions, raise others, on the sustainability of
run-of-river hydropower

Coquitlam, BC –Watershed Watch today released two reports that expose
weaknesses in how government and industry measure, monitor, and minimize the
impacts of “green” hydropower in British Columbia. (more…)

By RUSS FRANCIS

Aug 08 2007

$100,000 later, hydro project pullback raises questions

Just how green is hydroelectric power? As the B.C. government energetically pushes so-called “green power,” there is a widespread belief that hydroelectricity is as environmentally benign as planting a tree. A little water pushes turbines around. No waste products. No pollution. No impact.
(more…)

Craig WIlliams put his Google Earth data base online at
IPP Watch

Globe and Mail article republished at workopolis.com:
Virtual view of power projects renders a jolting reality check

Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives press release:

BC Hydro customers in for big electricity bill surprise

PDF download

Here is a link to a preview for the documentary that Bryan Smith was working on:

49 Megawatts

It documents the building of the Ashlu power project against local consensus under Bill 30.

Globe and Mail article:

Green power? Don’t let a name fool you

Article in the Vancouver Sun:
Plutonic joins the big players in electricity production

This relates to the planned East Toba and Montrose 200 MW hydro project. It draws the typical image from an economic point of view.

Documenting the First-Descent of Vancouver Islands Memekay River, The Last Drop documentary looks at the role kayaking plays in the conservation of BC rivers. Although the Kayakers in the film are met with a little “adverse” weather, they find the Memekay to be an untouched eco-system with massive old-growth trees and spectacular canyons and scenery.
Presented to raise awareness of Dam issues in British Columbia, the Last Drop looks at the current state of hydro in BC, and contrasts the role of the Provincial Government in the implementation of those hydro projects with the Kayakers and their thoughts on “stewardship of the rivers.” (more…)

Critique of the Proposed Glacier/Howser Hydroelectric Project

The Valhalla Society just distributed these pamphlets at a climate change conference in Nelson:

YES to JUMBO WILD

By Marjorie Griffin Cohen

Big changes are planned for B.C.s electricity transmission system. The
most startling is that the B.C. government is planning to give away the operation
and control of the system to a U.S. body, RTO West. This action will result in
higher rates, greater environmental damage, and the expansion of the system to
meet U.S., rather than B.C. needs.

Read more (link to ashlu.info):
High Tension

By Marjorie Griffin Cohen
This paper is a critique of the BC Energy Plan’s proposals for changing the provision of electricity in BC. The BC government claims that the changes to BC Hydro under the new energy plan are relatively minor. They are nothing of the sort. The changes will radically and irrevocably change the nature of BC Hydro and critically undermine its strength as a public provider of electricity.

Read more (link to ashlu.info):
Gutting a Power House

Read the Official Policy of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District on Independant Power Projects.

SLRD on IPPs

Read Proffessor John Calvert’s article on the Fiscal Legacy of Independant Power Projects (link to ashlu.info):

The Legacy of Private Power

Please read the CBC artical about the opposition to the Glacier Howser projects:
CBC article

Interesting article in the Watershed Sentinel Article.

short version

long version

I was also happy to read that this was as well posted on the BCSEA List server since this is the first critical statement from their side regarding run of the river projects.

Here is the article in the Georgia Strait that I wanted to post a long time ago.

Flogging Our Water

As part of the new category on accumulating micro hydro related information: This is a link to the article that Lisa Richardson wrote back in August 2004. It has some intersting points and gives the Mamquam River as an example for a high impact system. (The Mamquam River in Squamish has 2 small hydro projects—25 and 50 MWH, which is pretty big—and 7 other, smaller projects in its watershed).
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