B.C. - Delegates to the B.C. Chamber's 49th Annual General Meeting approved a trio of innovative policies related to energy at their meetings here this weekend. The Chamber will recommend that the B.C. Utilities Commission require B.C. Hydro to fund and construct upgrades to electrical capacity when it's required in the communities it serves. At present Hydro's policy forces plants or mills needing more capacity to pay the capital costs themselves.
Economic growth depends on availability of power.
We want Hydro to step up to the issue and do its job. The policy was put forward by the Fort St. James Chamber. The Chamber will also recommend that the provincial government promote the use of coal-fired electricity generation, as long as the plants meet environmental regulations, and that they pursue applications for alternate energy and heating methods. The Elkford Chamber proposed the policy. A third policy related to energy costs.