Former Review Chair Calls Site C Too Pricey for BC’s Energy Needs – The Tyee

‘I think we’re making a big mistake, a very expensive one.’

B.C. won’t need more electricity for many years and, when that time comes, there are less expensive alternatives than the Site C dam, says a submission filed with the B.C. Utilities Commission on Monday by Harry Swain, the man who chaired the federal-provincial review panel of the project.

“Demand will not materialize at even the low limit of BC Hydro’s demand forecast,” Swain writes, as he cautions the commission from relying too heavily on BC Hydro’s forecasts.

“The issue is that BC Hydro’s 2016 load forecast is no more credible than its numerous predecessors,” Swain writes.

Swain calls on the commission to “undertake its own research and analysis,” rather than simply adjudicating among submissions received during the review. A United Nations report also released Monday called on the Canadian government to “immediately suspend” Site C dam construction due to “irreversible harm” to Indigenous people.