Posted - May 13, 2013 -By Marvin Shaffer - rabble.ca|
Unlike a number of green advocates, political and otherwise, I think
there can be some significant benefit for British Columbians from the
development of LNG exports, particularly if issues around the supply and
pricing of electricity, and the regulation and offset of industry GHG
emissions are properly addressed. Nevertheless, I do agree with those
who argue that LNG won't bring the unprecedented riches that our
indefatigable even if deluded premier would have us believe.
However, what worries me about the Green party position on LNG is not
so much their assessment of the economic benefits from LNG. Rather it
is their suggestion that somehow the development of wind, run-of-river
and other such renewable energy would be a much more beneficial industry
for British Columbians to pursue. Aside from the fact that developing
renewable energy is not a substitute in any sense for the development of
LNG for export, it makes no economic or environmental sense to
implement policy that would accelerate the development of those projects
in British Columbia.
Of course British Columbia has more renewable energy sources that it
could develop. The catch though is that British Columbians would have to
pay for it. There are no lucrative export markets waiting for high
cost, B.C. renewable energy supply. And if there were, projects serving
those markets would be going ahead. The Greens call for additional
renewable supply would only come about if BC Hydro were forced to buy or
develop more such energy sources than it otherwise needs or could
justify.
If that sounds familiar, it is. The Greens are essentially calling
for a renewal and presumably expansion of the Liberals' widely
discredited Energy Plan. As we now know, that plan forced BC Hydro to
buy renewable energy it did not need, imposing losses of hundreds of
millions of dollars per year -- losses that have contributed greatly to
the sharp, upward pressure on BC Hydro rates. It was not a good economic
strategy for anyone but the IPP industry that got contracts for power
it could not otherwise sell. It is no wonder that the IPP industry lobby
group, BC Clean, is supportive of the Greens' renewable energy
position.
As for the environment, it is never a good strategy to build projects
we don't need and that are not in the broad public interest. Renewable
energy projects may not emit GHGs, but they can have significant land
and resource effects. It would be far better for the environment to
concentrate on conservation and energy efficiency than to go back to the
Liberals' discredited Energy Plan. Study after study indicates there is
tremendous economic conservation potential that for a variety of
reasons we have not yet exploited.
There will be green and renewable energy industry pressure on
whatever party forms the next government to force BC Hydro to develop or
buy renewable energy we don't need and can't justify. It's the 'green'
thing to do. But I would argue it is 'green' pressure we should try to
resist for it will, as it has in the recent past, raise green issues of a
different kind.
Post to be found at:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/policynote/2013/05/green-part-green-and-development-lng-bc
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