Looking back at 2013 28 JANUARY 8, 2014
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Fun in the snow
Christmas Spent in Children's Hospital 3
Local wrestler raising the bar 30
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Ken Alexander photo
Sometimes the best part of a sleigh ride is taking a tumble at the bottom of the hill. At least that is what three-year-old Will Symons thought after his ride at Green Lake on New Year’s Day.
BC Hydro hikes rates in new plan Barnett: A 15 per cent increase over two years – not 26
Carole Rooney Free Press
BC Hydro rates will increase about 15 per cent during the next two years. Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett said a new 10-year plan will keep electricity rates predictable and as low as possible, while BC Hydro invests in new infrastructure for aging assets to support the British Columbia’s growing population and economy. Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett notes the B.C. Liberal government will set rate increases for the initial two years of the 10-year plan, at nine per cent in 2014 and six per cent in 2015. The following three years will
increase within maximum caps of Barnett notes rebuilding the aging four per cent for 2016-18, she says, infrastructure is also necessary for adding it may be lower. building more resource revenues “If we get all kinds of customers, that fuel the economy and, therefore, then we’ll be in great shape.” key services, such as health The Crown corporation is care and education. cutting capital costs by $2.4 “Hopefully with the new billion, Barnett explains, resources industries to and prioritizing the infracome on stream, you will structure and investments see a huge turnaround of necessary to meet the elechydro. We will need all we trical needs of current and can produce for new indusfuture customers. tries.” Donna “Nobody likes increased NDP energy critic John Barnett hydro rates and nobody Horgan says Bennett avoidlikes to deliver this message, ed dealing with the impact believe you me. This came out from of private power purchases on BC the minister. In order to continue Hydro’s rate increases. to improve infrastructure so lights “The [B.C.] Liberal government stay on, you have to do major capital has locked us into contracts with improvements.” private power producers that force
us to buy very expensive power even when we don’t need it. Then we sell it back to the open market at a huge loss.” However, last fall BC Hydro began cancelling up to 10 electricity purchase contracts with independent power producers and deferring delivery dates on nine others to reduce the utility’s cost. Barnett adds there will be consumer impacts, but they won’t be massive. “Everybody is going to be upset. I’m upset. I’m a taxpayer. I’m a person who turns my lights on and off, and I know the detriment it’s going to be to the average household ... it will be about $8 a month, depending on their [level of] power usage.” Continued on 7