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Independent power projects attracting attention

Kayakers holding information meeting May 30 There may have been a time when kayakers were opposed to small run of river projects because they were worried about losing their recreational amenities.

Kayakers holding information meeting May 30

There may have been a time when kayakers were opposed to small run of river projects because they were worried about losing their recreational amenities.

But Don Butler, president of the Whitewater Kayaking Association of B.C., says independent power production is not just about the kayakers anymore.

"At first we thought we were arguing from a self-serving perspective, like they were going to take our rivers away," said Butler.

"What’s changed out of that is that we realize it’s a much bigger picture than just affecting the kayaking community."

Now Butler said the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are affecting the community as a whole because of the plethora of applications on local rivers in the Sea to Sky corridor and their potential impacts.

The Pemberton area has the Rutherford and Miller Creek power projects underway and another project is being considered on the Ryan River.

In Whistler, Brandywine and Fitzsimmons Creeks are also being considered for power generation sites.

The Sea to Sky corridor is one of the hotspots for potential IPP activity in the future. There are more than 56 sites identified for potential small hydroelectric projects in this area.

Interest in IPPs has been on the rise ever since B.C. Hydro committed to meet 10 per cent of its increased demand for electricity through green energy sources until 2010.

This direction was reiterated in the new Provincial Energy Policy released last year, which identified IPPs as the primary source for new electricity in the river-rich province.

The IPPs meet BC Hydro’s "green" criteria if they are: renewable, licensable, socially responsible and have a low environmental impact.

But there are a number of people in the area who are calling B.C. Hydro to review its definition of green energy.

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District hired consultant Jane Newlands to review IPPs and help determine a policy for dealing with them. Newlands’ report was adopted by the SLRD last month. She presented it to Whistler council this week and it will be presented to other regional districts and the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

Newlands told Whistler council on Tuesday that one of the concerns is the provincial government doesn’t have a process for taking an overall look at IPPs. As a result there can be incremental development rather than planned development of power projects.

Newlands also noted there are multiple agencies involved in the approval process, which can lead to substantial changes in a project.

Lisa Helmer, a fish and wildlife biologist from Pemberton, outlined her concerns in a recent letter to the province.

"Currently there is a lack of research and baseline information on the extent of these impacts," she said.

Using information gathered on the Ryan River watershed, Helmer points to a number of species that could be affected by a power project on that river.

The mountain goat and the mule deer use the watershed for breeding, as do other animals. And within the river itself are bull trout, dolly varden, and a wide variety of salmon, among other species, she said.

Even if the project uses a part of the river with no fish in it, Helmer is still concerned about the watershed as a whole and how all the species interrelate with the river. Before there’s any development, there must be more studies done as well as a baseline inventory of the river, she said.

The proponents of run of river projects have to go through a number of steps with Land and Water B.C. and get all the necessary permits before they can develop on a river. Environmental assessments are also part of the process for qualifying.

But the process is fast and many in the community feel there is not enough public consultation at various stages of the process.

Along with the environmental impacts and the social impacts to the kayakers and the community, Butler expressed one more concern about the future of energy in the province.

Last year’s energy policy calls for B.C. Hydro to restructure into two publicly-owned companies, one for power transmission and the other for generation and distribution.

This split will allow independent power producers to sell power directly to customers.

Butler said deregulation of the B.C. Hydro monopoly will bring about many changes, the most significant of which that is energy prices will no longer be regulated.

"Eventually power production in this province will be with private producers," he said.

Butler predicts this will drive up the price of energy.

As such, he said everyone should be concerned about IPPs and the fate of B.C.’s energy in general.

The issue traditionally gets polarized with the IPPs on one side and the kayakers on the other because both are looking for the same type of river – one with a high volume of water and a good gradient, he said.

In the short history of IPP development in the community, kayakers have had the loudest voice to date.

They rallied together last year after a power project was approved for the Rutherford Creek in Pemberton, a popular river among kayakers.

While ultimately their river was taken away from them, the kaykers managed to massage a deal with the power company that will see an Olympic-calibre kayak park running parallel to the river, complete with special kayaking features and a teaching pond.

The park should be operational by the time power is being pumped out next summer.

But Butler said it’s hard to organize against every project, especially with so many being proposed in the area.

"We’re a bunch of volunteers," he said.

"We’re a bunch of people with every-day jobs trying to do things... and then all of a sudden we have to organize against a company that’s got a multi-million dollar project on the go.

"It’s not a good position for us to be in."

Butler would like to invite not only the kayaking community but anyone else who is interested in the development of run of river projects in the area to a meeting on Friday, May 30 at the House Rock park on the Cheakamus River at 6:30 p.m.