What happens when the B.C. Hydro power-purchase agreements with independent producers expire?

John Calvert
Author and SFU associate public policy professor

“The private proponent has the option of selling their energy to whoever wants to buy it at that point. That could be selling it back to B.C. Hydro or it could be selling it to the U.S. if they can find a purchaser there. It is their energy and they own the power plant.”

Elisha Moreno
Spokesperson, Plutonic Power Corporation

“You have to ask B.C. Hydro that, but what we would hope is that there would be a situation where we could renew that contract.”¦I know that the common argument out there is that we would get into a situation where we would put the power on the market, but that is just not feasible.”

Michael Sather
NDP MLA, Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows

“Part of the benefit to the [provincial] government—because they are encouraging this process—and the independent power producers is that, having separated the B.C. Transmission Corp. off from B.C. Hydro, it facilitates the process of building more capacity for transmission to the U.S.”

Randy Hawes
Liberal MLA, Maple Ridge–Mission

“Forty years is the maximum period of time that any of these water licences can be granted for the leases. At the end of 40 years, the Crown makes a decision to renew or not renew. If the Crown does not renew, then the asset all reverts to the Crown. So, at all times the government remains in control.”