Site C was a difficult choice, but a wise one

Dam will supply reliable green power for generations, Phil Venoit writes.

I commend Premier John Horgan for his no doubt difficult but prudent decision to proceed with the completion of the Site C dam.

I know Horgan wrestled with this decision, and the preceding government had done its utmost to ensure Site C was at the point of no return before the last provincial election. That said, it must be recognized this project will not only provide for thousands of jobs today, but also help displace fossilfuel plants while providing a secure source of green energy for generations of British Columbians to rely on.

The termination of the Site C project would have represented an immediate $3.2-billion loss to the B.C. government, with no benefit from the expenditure, while alternative sources of clean power would have had fewer benefits and would be at least as costly as Site C power.

As John Kenneth Galbraith, the Canadian-born diplomat, noted, “Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.”

As unpalatable as Site C may be to some, to have reversed course would be financially disastrous for B.C. Hydro, the taxpayer and ultimately the consumer.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has a keen interest in the development of alternative energy sources and conservation technologies. As examples, our members have worked to upgrade legacy B.C. Hydro facilities, such as the John Hart Dam upgrades in Campbell River, constructing wind turbines on the northern tip of Vancouver Island and installing electricvehicle charging stations.

In other words, we see the B.C. energy system in a holistic way. We see Site C as a valuable ally providing needed baseload energy, along with smaller-scale alternative energy projects.

It’s estimated that electric vehicles will account for 30 per cent of all new vehicles by 2035, and will add a significant new load to the B.C. power grid. Site C will ensure that the electricity charging those vehicles doesn’t come from fossil fuels.

Although we strongly support the government’s decision to proceed, we must also ensure that this project, to the extent it may still be possible, be built on time and on budget. It’s imperative that all employees performing electrical work on Site C hold provincial certification as construction or industrial electricians, or should be registered apprentices working under the direct supervision of certified electricians.