717 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

^ Yep. Green energy alternatives, exception being scale hydro and nuclear are not economically viable. Been saying that here for years.

[LJ]

Got my BC Hydro bill for Dec-Jan - over $700, now that's a debacle. Double what it was for the previous year.

[sebberry]

Yikes!

[LeoVictoria]

Funny that people are upset about the 8% planned rise in hydro rates over 5 years. That’s less than inflation. Rates actually going down in real terms.

[RFS]

Funny that people are upset about the 8% planned rise in hydro rates over 5 years. That’s less than inflation. Rates actually going down in real terms.

How about the fact that a rate freeze was an NDP campaign promise?

[LeoVictoria]

How about the fact that a rate freeze was an NDP campaign promise?

Dumbest campaign promise ever. Stupid **** like forcing B.C. Hydro to run their business in a way that compromises the viability of that business is not what they should be doing. Glad they came to their senses.

[jonny]

A scathing report 

 

Scathing. Oooh. Sounds absolutely titillating. When does the movie come out? Can I buy the book?

 

Cute that people still buy this NDP BS.

 

I mean, we should have the NDP playbook memorized at this point. Something unsavoury comes out about this government (yesterday it was the sleaziness around the NDP's ties to the taxi cartel) and David Eby strolls out to say absolutely nothing of substance regarding the Province's money laundering non-investigation or some useless report is issued. "NDP Issues Report that Everything Bad is the Liberals Fault but Applauds the NDP for all that is Good"

 

The NDP - whose entire raison d'être is apparently saving the planet from climate catastrophe - is against absurdly expensive and ineffective alternative electricity sources AND Site C AND fossil fuels. The whole province will run on unicorn farts and fairy dust, I suppose.

[LeoVictoria]

Scathing. Oooh. Sounds absolutely titillating. When does the movie come out? Can I buy the book?

 

Cute that people still buy this NDP BS.

 

So, you're saying the IPP agreements were not an unmitigated disaster brought about by political interference?

[jonny]

I'm saying the NDP has no credibility on the matter.

According to John Horgan:

BC Hydro building more capacity is bad.

BC Hydro purchasing power from the private sector is bad.

We must do everything we can to reduce GHG emissions, but now they're saying they want BCH to buy more power from the open market, which is massively weighted towards fossil fuel generation.

Meanwhile this government is targeting massive electrification of homes by 2030. So we're going to need more power. No idea how were going to get there, aside from purchasing fossil fuel produced power from outside of BC.

[LeoVictoria]

I'm saying the NDP has no credibility on the matter.

According to John Horgan:

BC Hydro building more capacity is bad.

BC Hydro purchasing power from the private sector is bad.

We must do everything we can to reduce GHG emissions, but now they're saying they want BCH to buy more power from the open market, which is massively weighted towards fossil fuel generation.

Meanwhile this government is targeting massive electrification of homes by 2030. So we're going to need more power. No idea how were going to get there, aside from purchasing fossil fuel produced power from outside of BC.

I agree with everything you are saying, especially site C which I spoke in favour of at their community consultations but the IPP deals were really bad deals and possibly corrupt.

The problems above can be addressed without making really bad deals especially now that the cost of renewables is way lower than it was in 2002 when this new power strategy was hatched. Bids for wind energy that Alberta has gotten recently are at 3.7 cents/kWh. That is crazy low and Bc hydro is perfectly positioned to integrate intermittent renewables into the grid because they have so much storage capacity.

Edited by LeoVictoria, 16 February 2019 - 11:35 AM.

[Mike K.]

Scathing. Oooh. Sounds absolutely titillating. When does the movie come out? Can I buy the book?

Cute that people still buy this NDP BS.

I mean, we should have the NDP playbook memorized at this point. Something unsavoury comes out about this government (yesterday it was the sleaziness around the NDP's ties to the taxi cartel) and David Eby strolls out to say absolutely nothing of substance regarding the Province's money laundering non-investigation or some useless report is issued. "NDP Issues Report that Everything Bad is the Liberals Fault but Applauds the NDP for all that is Good"

The NDP - whose entire raison d'être is apparently saving the planet from climate catastrophe - is against absurdly expensive and ineffective alternative electricity sources AND Site C AND fossil fuels. The whole province will run on unicorn farts and fairy dust, I suppose.

This wasn’t solely a Made by BC Liberals problem, it was an agenda that progressed from the 90’s into the 00’s. Both hands were in the cookie jar.

The report clearly states that the NDP’s deal with one producer in particular was the worst of them all and Site C, which the NDP was ferociously against, makes a heck of a lot of sense compared to feeble and costly IPP’s.

[LeoVictoria]

This wasn’t solely a Made by BC Liberals problem, it was an agenda that progressed from the 90’s into the 00’s. Both hands were in the cookie jar.

The report clearly states that the NDP’s deal with one producer in particular was the worst of them all and Site C, which the NDP was ferociously against, makes a heck of a lot of sense compared to feeble and costly IPP’s.

Yeah there isn’t really a way to #bothsides the IPP issue. This was definitely something that happened almost entirely under Liberal watch.


Of course the NDP are no better in terms of wanting to politically influence BC Hydro. Their promise to freeze rates is a prime example of the political influence they now pretend to be outraged about . They just hadn’t had enough time to screw up yet.

Edited by LeoVictoria, 17 February 2019 - 01:58 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

yes make no mistake the ipps were a great way to give nice fat contracts to Liberal friends while trying to keep them under the public radar by hiding them as green initiatives.

[Mike K.]

The NDP would have done the same thing (they were literally doing the same thing) until they got booted out of office and kept out for 16 years.

In some ways there’s no difference between the inner workings of the two parties. Clearly this province needs a pendulum that swings every four to eight years.

[Victoria Watcher]

BC Hydro smart water trial offers free $600 controller and likely lower bills

Smart water heater trial seeks Greater Victoria business participants

https://www.vicnews....ly-lower-bills/

that looks interesting. the idea is to see is they can prevent / discourage you from using hot water heating during peak winter demand with no negatives or discomfort.

[tjv]

Funny that people are upset about the 8% planned rise in hydro rates over 5 years. That’s less than inflation. Rates actually going down in real terms.

not disputing any of that, but meanwhile generally natural gas prices have been flat for the last 10 years.  Guess it pays to use fossil fuels and zero incentive to install clean energy heat pumps

[FogPub]

The NDP would have done the same thing (they were literally doing the same thing) until they got booted out of office and kept out for 16 years.

In some ways there’s no difference between the inner workings of the two parties. Clearly this province needs a pendulum that swings every four to eight years.

Or a viable socially-conscious fiscally-conservative non-corrupt third party...

 

 

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

[LeoVictoria]

not disputing any of that, but meanwhile generally natural gas prices have been flat for the last 10 years. Guess it pays to use fossil fuels and zero incentive to install clean energy heat pumps

I dunno. I’m phasing out gas in the house slowly. Heat pump is cheaper than the central gas furnace unless it gets below zero and the gas fireplaces are super inefficient, losing most of the heat up the chimney.

Gas costs me about $500 per year, with about 350 of that being the hot water tank + basic fees. Electric hot water would cost about the same and the tanks are cheaper and simpler.

[Mike K.]

Yes, the savings in maintenance/repairs for electric appliances can be significant, and that’s before a gas fitter makes a $150 visit to your home to double check your connection every time you tinker with an appliance or buy a new one.

[Victoria Watcher]

i still don't understand why on-demand hot water is still not more popular.  that big tank hardly says 2019.