Based on the available information published by B.C. Hydro, there is no business case for completing the Site C dam. The reasons for this conclusion are:
1. The demand for electricity has been constant for the past 10 years and the only foreseeable possibility of a major increase is related to the growth in the popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.
2. In morning off-peak demand hours, Hydro’s generating load drops dramatically, and very cheap power is often imported, meaning there is excess capacity between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., which could provide more power than Site C if the need arises for charging electric vehicles.
3. The underused capacity of existing hydro power stations appears to be greater than the capacity of Site C.
4. There is already a dam on Duncan Lake that could support a large generating station, and Hydro plans a sixth generating unit at the Revelstoke Dam.
5. The cost of servicing the debt for Site C would for many years exceed the revenue generated from the sale of its electricity, meaning that it would have to be subsidized by Hydro’s customers.
Charles Woodruff
Oak Bay
