NDP freeze hydro rates

[The Green Barbarian]

“The NDP is at a crossroads. They can continue down this path of reckless Liberal fiscal management, or they can keep their promise to be better. While I’m glad they’re reviewing BC Hydro, there are concrete steps they can take to reverse the trend of energy policy being used as a political tool. They can and should cancel the Long Term Royalty Agreement with Progress Energy, who, by the way, is responsible for the two largest unregulated dams in North Eastern BC. They can, and should stop the pilfering of BC Hydro by requiring dividends that, if not stopped, will amount to $2.8 billion by 2020.

“We cannot keep making political decisions while saddling future generations with debt. If the NDP truly want to make life more affordable, freezing hydro rates without developing an energy strategy – which will simply saddle our children with these costs – is not the solution. We have a generational opportunity to use this minority government to chart a new path for BC, one that takes us away from the BC Liberals fiscal mismanagement. It will require us to think big and to take bold action, but that is exactly what British Columbians deserve from their leaders.”

Could we finally be seeing some hope that this unholy alliance is unravelling??? Please?????

[Bsuds]

My monthly BC Hydro bill in 2010 when I bought my house was $107/month on equal payment. Seven years later it's currently $110/month.

Runaway train indeed! [/sarcasm]

I started tracking bill in 2011 and Fortis has actually dropped since then. We have installed a new furnace (gas) that is energy efficient (better motor?)and also replaced lots of lights with LED's.

[Steve-O]

Received a notice that my Treo account has been cancelled as there is no longer a poll on the Port Mann bridge. Now we can all pay for it. The NDP are going to make BC un-livable due to taxes.

[hobbyguy]

Yes, we are heading back into the 1990s NDP debacle in a big hurry.

What did the NDP do in the 1990s - they irrationally froze BC Hydro rates. Flash forward to 2017 - the NDP irrationally freeze BC Hydro rates and over rule the BCUC (which the NDP legislated into existence largely to prevent political meddling).

The NDP can't manage a popcorn stand, they can't even manage their own party finances. The NDP Party is nearly bankrupt, and so they are reaching into taxpayer pockets to pay for their sad sack excuse for a political party. Totally incompetent thieves!

[Cactusflower]

Yes, we are heading back into the 1990s NDP debacle in a big hurry.

What did the NDP do in the 1990s - they irrationally froze BC Hydro rates. Flash forward to 2017 - the NDP irrationally freeze BC Hydro rates and over rule the BCUC (which the NDP legislated into existence largely to prevent political meddling).

The NDP can't manage a popcorn stand, they can't even manage tehir own party finances. The NDP Party is nearly bankrupt, and so they are reaching into taxpayer pockets to pay for their sad sack excuse for a political party. Totally incompetent thieves!

What did the BC Liberals do in the 2000s? Among other things, they cost taxpayers $2+ billion (soon to be $12+ billion, if they get their way) for an unnecessary hydroeelectric dam. The NDP is simply trying to save us billions of added debt.

[Smurf]

You seem to forget that site C will pay for itself and leave us with a valuable asset. That is something no alternative method has ever done. Everywhere it has been tried it has cost more than site C will at it's very worst. In most places it has ruined the electrical system to the stage of electrical poverty..

If it has ever worked please post, answer to Hobbyguy's question. We are waiting LOL.

[alanjh595]

You seem to forget that site C will pay for itself and leave us with a valuable asset. That is something no alternative method has ever done. Everywhere it has been tried it has cost more than site C will at it's very worst. In most places it has ruined the electrical system to the stage of electrical poverty..

If it has ever worked please post, answer to Hobbyguy's question. We are waiting LOL.

Yeah, good luck with your waiting. This could be timed with a calendar.

[Urbane]

You seem to forget that site C will pay for itself and leave us with a valuable asset. That is something no alternative method has ever done. Everywhere it has been tried it has cost more than site C will at it's very worst. In most places it has ruined the electrical system to the stage of electrical poverty..

If it has ever worked please post, answer to Hobbyguy's question. We are waiting LOL.

We keep hearing that it's better to cancel Site C and throw away $4 billion rather than throw away $10 billion. Posters who say things like that are forgetting or deliberately omitting the facts, i.e. that it will eventually pay for itself and that we will have a valuable asset.

SFU's Marvin Shaffer, an early critic of Site C, makes the same points and says that there is no business case for shutting down the project. Those who say that $10 billion will be "wasted" if the projected is completed are just admitting that they've run out of ammunition to counter the arguments for completing the dam.

[Because_They_Lie]

Myself: Hydro in 2007 $43.00 every 2 months - Hydro 2017 $87.00 every 2 months.

[Btfsplck]

Freezing Hydro rates is typical shallow thinking by the NDP that appeals to people that only think short term (and about themselves.) Only a fool would think that a freeze is a good idea, but BC is cursed with lots of fools. The same foolish policy got rid of the Port Mann bridge tolls. Short term gain, long term pain means maintenance and infrastructure will suffer, just like the last time the NDP were in power.
Like I said, leftist sure like their entitlements. Especially ones that they don't have to pay for or deserve.

[hobbyguy]

The problem is that the BCUC reviewed the rate increase, and determined it was needed for upcoming maintenance, contract wage increases etc.

The last time the NDP "froze" BC Hydro rates, there was precisely zero capital investment, including major maintenance and modernization, for 6-7 years. At the same time the NDP deemed it appropriate to start taking dividends from BC Hydro. Dividends are appropriate in some circumstance, but not that one. Then the following government had to let BC Hydro start catching up, and the work that SHOULD have been done in the 1990s cost MUCH more in the 2000s and beyond, resulting in larger rate increases than would otherwise have been necessary. The modernizations at BC Hydro have saved many millions of $$$ of operating cost, some of which could have been done in the 1990s, but the NDP blocked out such investments.

Once again the NDP are "freezing" BC Hydro rates for no good reason. Except their political malfeasance. 2016 real (adjusted for inflation) BC Hydro rates were exactly the same as they were in 1976.

To top it off, the doofus NDP have admitted that once again, "the dog ate my homework" and they don't know where they are at with BC Hydro and require a year's review. Give me a break. IF you have any management ability at all you sit down for a couple of weeks and understand where a business unit is, what its challenges are, and get on with it. IF you can't, then leave it alone and let the professionals, the adults in the room, get on with it.

The NDP are being childish and myopic in how they are approaching government, and we see that in microcosm in their mishandling of BC Hydro. It is just plain amateur night by grinning bozo and the clowns.

[Cactusflower]

The problem is that the BCUC reviewed the rate increase, and determined it was needed for upcoming maintenance, contract wage increases etc.

The last time the NDP "froze" BC Hydro rates, there was precisely zero capital investment, including major maintenance and modernization, for 6-7 years. At the same time the NDP deemed it appropriate to start taking dividends from BC Hydro. Dividends are appropriate in some circumstance, but not that one. Then the following government had to let BC Hydro start catching up, and the work that SHOULD have been done in the 1990s cost MUCH more in the 2000s and beyond, resulting in larger rate increases than would otherwise have been necessary. The modernizations at BC Hydro have saved many millions of $$$ of operating cost, some of which could have been done in the 1990s, but the NDP blocked out such investments.

Once again the NDP are "freezing" BC Hydro rates for no good reason. Except their political malfeasance. 2016 real (adjusted for inflation) BC Hydro rates were exactly the same as they were in 1976.

To top it off, the doofus NDP have admitted that once again, "the dog ate my homework" and they don't know where they are at with BC Hydro and require a year's review. Give me a break. IF you have any management ability at all you sit down for a couple of weeks and understand where a business unit is, what its challenges are, and get on with it. IF you can't, then leave it alone and let the professionals, the adults in the room, get on with it.

The NDP are being childish and myopic in how they are approaching government, and we see that in microcosm in their mishandling of BC Hydro. It is just plain amateur night by grinning bozo and the clowns.

The NDP is 'mishandling BC Hydro'? Now, that's really rich. Which political party stole millions of dollars every year from BC Hydro and every other Crown corporation in an attempt to balance their budgets? At the same time, they were increasing the rates every year. Someone had to stop that runaway train. And yet you have the nerve to say that the NDP lied about freezing rates, that they don't have the right to do that without consulting BCUC. Well, the BC Liberals obviously didn't have to consult BCUC when they decided to saddle the BC tax and ratepayers with a$9 - $12 billion dollar debt, did they?

Why the phony outrage?

[mikest2]

The NDP is 'mishandling BC Hydro'? Now, that's really rich. Which political party stole millions of dollars every year from BC Hydro and every other Crown corporation in an attempt to balance their budgets?
The NDP starting back in the 90's, but honestly the liberals followed suit, so perhaps it wasn't stolen by a party, but "taxed" by the government
At the same time, they were increasing the rates every year.
Once again I think those rate increases were applied for by BC Hydro and approved by the BCUC, seriously required by BC Hydro after the NDP 90's rate freezes
Someone had to stop that runaway train. And yet you have the nerve to say that the NDP lied about freezing rates, that they don't have the right to do that without consulting BCUC. Well, the BC Liberals obviously didn't have to consult BCUC
NDP wrote the law on this
when they decided to saddle the BC tax and ratepayers with a$9 - $12 billion dollar debt
that will pay itself off in a reasonable time, BTW the debt is carried by BC Hydro, not the ratepayer or taxpayer, and BC Hydro has some very serious collateral
, did they?

Why the phony outrage?

Due in large part to the phony accusations and the blindness to factual information, whyever would you ask ?

[Smurf]

One thing I have not heard is the NDG say they will stop taking money from BC Hydro to enable them to cancel their rate increases. OPP's! I forgot the NDP started that crap. Looks like they will continue right on to do what everyone especially the "NO" side is complaining about the Liberals doing. The NDG could solve the whole problem themselves, do the right thing and get rid of their own legislation allowing BC hydro to remove the rent increases. The NGD are in power now, they can't change history, when will they step up and do the right thing????????

Even the BCUC approved the rate increases, realizing that BC Hydro has to keep up with their ever increasing expenses. Too bad the NDG don't have the brains to understand this.

[W105]

they should have just gotten rid of the 2 tier system..freezing it is just a fantasy that's going to be painful later...