Sean Leslie | Email news tips to Sean
5/15/2012
The Liberal government is defending its record on electricity production even though BC Hydro is paying a premium for independent power while spilling water from public dams.
NDP energy critic John Horgan says Hydro is missing a chance to generate excess power for sale because it's committed to buying from independent power producers at a rate four times higher than the spot market.
"We're losing money big time and it's Liberal policy that's doing it."
Energy Minister Rich Coleman says there's a lot of snowmelt filling reservoirs right now, and admits that currently we are paying too much for power.
But Coleman says the I-P-P contracts will pay off in the long run because we'll need all that power especially in drier years.
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