“That’s just wrong. No one gets away with that.”
–Brad Sperling
Peace River officials pushed back against the provincial government’s recent decision to exempt wind energy projects from the environmental assessment process, including two green lit for the northeast region.
Last week, B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix and Premier David Eby announced nine new wind projects had been selected from BC Hydro’s 2024 call for power to “supply clean, affordable electricity.” The pair also committed all wind projects will be exempt from environmental assessments in order to complete construction as quickly as possible.
All the projects will be co-owned with Indigenous nations. The two in the Peace region – the Stewart Creek wind project and the Taylor wind project, were developed with West Moberly and Saulteau first nations, respectively. Elsewhere, the province approved wind farms in the North Coast, the central interior, the western southern interior, and northern Vancouver Island.
In the Peace, regional district officials are frustrated and nervous about potential environmental impacts and the way in which the B.C. government is moving ahead.
“There is no environmental assessment being done on these wind projects, they’re just being approved and moving forward,” said Brad Sperling, Area C Peace River Regional District
“No other industry gets to get away without an environmental assessment.”
Province ignored repeated requests for impact studies
Regional district officials have repeatedly asked the province to ensure cumulative impacts were understood before any new projects were approved.
“So, they’ve totally ignored our request for cumulative impact studies,” Sperling said.
When the province first put out its call for power, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) asked for cumulative impact studies prior to any projects being approved in the region. Regional directors reiterated the request during meetings with cabinet ministers at the Union of BC Municipalities conference in September.
After directors met with then-Energy Minister Josie Osborne, the minister assured the regional district in a follow-up letter that BC Hydro would continue to work with the regional government to continue discussions and answer any questions PRRD officials had regarding the call for power.
“We’ve been having that same conversation for years.”
Leonard Hiebert
Sperling says the province is ignoring the northeast. The regional district needs to stand up, because these projects are going ahead “whether we like it or not.”
Using the oil and gas industry as an example, Sperling said it’s clear the BC NDP government doesn’t like natural gas.
“They’re trying their best to get rid of that,” he said. “They’re even coming out with their own emissions caps, not even the federal ones. They’re actually higher.
“They’re just ignoring everything. When the premier said, right from the start of this election… that he needs to listen to rural people and rural communities – well he sure is listening well to the ones north of the Rocky Mountains,” Sperling said sarcastically.
“He’s just totally ignored everything.”
Area D director Leonard Hiebert agreed.
“We’ve been having that same conversation for years. It’s the same discussions we’re having, especially the cumulative impacts.”
‘No one gets away with that’
BC Hydro says its 10-Year-Capital Plan and call for power are estimated to lead to a total public and private investments of approximately $140 billion, creating up to 14,000 construction jobs annually.
“They’re touting the economic benefits for rural areas and communities. There might be some during construction,” said Sperling, but there’s no taxation other than the road in, and the road out.
“Where’s the benefit, whether it’s on private land or Crown land?” he asked.
“We need to push back on this.”
Brad Sperling
Dan Rose, Area E director and EADC chair said he’s concerned about landowners, and how their hands are tied if they want to do anything other than agriculture on their land.
“How do you answer that question when people phone you and say, ‘Well, gee I just wanted to do this, and I can’t even take an acre out to do this.’ And yet, here we go,” Rose said.
Sperling recommended a report on the issue be brought to the board for a fulsome discussion about the provincial position on the call for power, including wind farms, environmental assessments, emissions caps and the impacts on industry and the economy.
“We need to push back on this,” Sperling said. “Starting with no environmental assessment. That’s just wrong. No one gets away with that.”
“I’m not quite certain what [the B.C. government’s] plan is, but it’s not listening to the people of the north.”