Bob Simpson

As the deadline nears for the B.C. government’s decision on whether to proceed with the $9-billion (and counting) Site C dam, one aspect of the controversial B.C. Hydro project deserves more attention: What do rising hydro rates and a glut of power mean for the financial viability of numerous forest companies and the rural communities in which they operate? Contrary to what many British Columbians think, many forest companies produce more than just lumber, panels, pulp and pellets. Some also produce power that is sold to B.C. Hydro. Currently, 17 B.C. firms produce a combined 850 megawatts of “biomass” power — 77 per cent of the power equivalency of Site C should that dam be completed. …But with Site C’s potential to add another 1,100 megawatts of hydropower to a province already awash in electricity, questions must be asked.