The Spin:
Carole James claims her party supports green power development in BC, and says she will “work with” independent power producers to make that happen.
The Facts:
Carole James and the NDP have an ideological opposition to the private sector participating in our energy industry and have called for a moratorium on IPPs -- even though they invest billions in our economy, create thousands of jobs, and create clean, green power that reduces our dependence on dirty imported electricity.
The Proof:
Their words and their actions say it all. Not only have they called for a moratorium in the press and in the Legislature, but they have yet to identify a single private power project they will support.
Here's the Full Story:
- BC Hydro has been a net purchaser of electricity for seven of the past 10 years. We have committed to becoming self-sufficient by 2016, and that at least 90 per cent of our new generation comes from clean sources.
- Purchasing power from independent power producers (IPPs) is a low-cost, low-risk method for BC Hydro to meet this objective. The industry has invested $4.5 billion and created approximately 17,000 person years of employment since 2001.
- IPPs have been part of our energy system since 1988. Despite these facts, for purely ideological reasons the Carole James NDP has consistently called for a moratorium on the expansion of this industry:
- “I believe [IPPs are] wrong and the Official Opposition believe it’s wrong.” (John Horgan, Revelstoke Times Review, Jun 25/08)
- “Yeah, we’d put a moratorium.” (Carole James, Voice of BC, Oct 2/08)
- The NDP even introduced a motion in the Legislature in 2008 calling for a moratorium in the industry (Private Members’ Motion #51).
- The NDP also has intimate links through its partner unions to the BC Citizens for Public Power – a special interest group that has sponsored an unrelenting campaign to undermine the IPP industry in communities across BC.
- While Carole James since that time has said she would allow some projects to proceed, she refuses to name a single new project that they would support.
- Even First Nations who have partnered on IPP development have accused the NDP of trying to scuttle their projects:
- “The NDP Opposition … have implemented a campaign of public meetings and media misinformation on run-of-river power projects. Seemingly lost in this disturbingly paternalistic and blatantly ideological campaign against run-of-river green energy projects are the interests of First Nations communities partnering with independent power producers.” (Letter from Chiefs Ken Brown, Walter Paul and Darren Blaney, Vancouver Sun, Jul 16/08)
The Bottom Line?
Carole James and the NDP have one objective -- to eliminate the IPP industry in BC for nothing more than ideological reasons and to appease their union backers. As a result, our economy and our environment will pay the ultimate price.
