From Straight.com – Jan 18, 2011

by Matthew Burrows

The B.C. NDP’s only Vancouver Island–based leadership candidate has said he believes the proposed Site C hydroelectric dam is unnecessary at this point in time.

“Each pulp mill or sawmill that shuts down, that’s more power that’s available to B.C. Hydro through the existing supply,” John Horgan, long-time NDP energy critic, told the Straight
by phone today (January 18). “Housing starts have not been what they
were projected to be in 2005-2006, so residential demand is not growing
at the rate that B.C. Hydro projected. So my view is that Site C is not
required at this time, and there are other potentially lower-cost,
best-use options available to the corporation.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Horgan confirmed the NDP still supports a moratorium on any new run-of-river power projects.
If the NDP forms government, it would review the power-purchase
agreements made by B.C. Hydro and private power producers in order to
ensure they are in the “public interest”, according to him.

“If it’s determined that they are not in the public interest, after the
light of day has been shone upon them, then we would take action to
rectify that. What that action is would depend on what the deficiencies
are,” Horgan said.

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