Jim Hilton
Special to the Tribune
If you support a user pay approach to cover infrastructure costs then you won’t likely support the recent decisions to remove the toll from the Port Mann bridge or the freeze on BC Hydro rates following the decision to proceed with the Site C dam.
Being only a casual user I supported the bridge toll where as regular commercial users I am sure did not. Time will tell what the long-term impact on traffic patterns will be. In the case of BC Hydro the freeze is supposedly a move to develop a longer term plan but I think is was mostly the result of an election promises to control rising hydro rates described in the Liberals’ future hydro plan.
A review of the 2011 BC Hydro plan would be a good place to start to see what the progressive increases were for. i.e. the need to have our rates be somewhat in line with the rest of the country if we want to keep the long term debt reasonable and pay for upgrades which have been ignored for the past 20 years.
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Reasonable rates also encourage conservative use and support existing and future independent renewable power sources.
Bob Simpson mayor of Quesnel was concerned that Site C may impact on the continued use of biomass for power generation is his city. Closer to home cheap hydro could also impact the decision to use rail road ties in the local power plant rather than more costly clean residual biomass.
Using solar to compensate for potential increases in hydro rates is a way for the user pay people to put their philosophy into practice. Solar panels prices have realized a tenfold decrease in the past 15 years. A solar system for the average sized home used to take 20 plus years to get a payback. A reasonable payback is now eight to 10 years with a return on investment of around seven per cent. Potential users need to do their homework to make sure their residence is optimal for supporting a solar system.
You will no doubt get an optimistic viewpoint from companies that install solar systems but they do provide good information on details of what is involved.
A quick review of the internet shows there are also lots of people who have a positive experience from their systems and a few who have some concerns and cautions.
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From my research and experience I have concluded the best way for each of us to contribute to conservative use of hydro is to not be wasteful i.e. turn off lights when not in use, use LEDs and low energy appliances where possible, keep thermostats at a reasonable level, insulate where practical and most advantageous and look into solar panels if your residence is in a good location for maximum return.
Solar systems could go a long way to powering the anticipated increase in the use of electric cars in the Lower Mainland. Some people have also demonstrated it is possible to use all electric cars year-round in the colder Interior climate, you just have to adjust your driving habits and expectations when winter comes.
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