Transcript The Legacies of Trudeau (NEP) and Mulroney (NAFTA)

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Strategic – BC Hydro Long Term Planning
Project level
 Environmental Assessment
▪ Federal
▪ Provincial
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Integration
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Integrated electricity planning - the long-term
planning of electricity generation, transmission, and
demand-side resources to reliably meet forecast
requirements.
 2000s - long-term acquisition plan (LTAP) every 4 yrs
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 Needs to be reviewed and approved by BCUC
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2010 Clean Energy Act – IRP replaces LTAP
 Same problem for analysis and decision-making
 but different consultation, review, and approval
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Planning context, objectives
Gross (pre-DSM) demand forecasts
Resources (supply and DSM) – ID and
measurement
Develop resource portfolios
Evaluate and select resource portfolios
Develop action plan
Consult
Get approval
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Application submitted to BCUC June 2008
 Evidentiary update December 08
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Formal hearings in BCUC
BCUC decision rejecting plan July 2009
 Greenpolicyprof summary
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1.
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did not adequately addressed
self‐sufficiency
DSM plan not adequately supported by
analysis
Rejected plan to reduce its reliance on
Burrard Thermal
Rejected special target for Clean Power Call
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Mostly, critical of the lack of evidence or
analysis underlying BC Hydro’s plan
not a challenge to government policy, but as
a criticism of BC Hydro for not providing
sufficient evidence that it was complying with
government policy
Exception: refusal to endorse BC Hydro’s
desire to reduce reliance on Burrard Thermal
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Critics of private power projects, including the
BC New Democratic Party, declared victory,
claiming the decision is a rejection of the BC
government’s plan to rely on private power for
future electricity supply.
Climate activists blasted BCUC “a serious blow
to the clean energy transition and climate
leadership in British Columbia.”
First Nations denounced the Commission for
creating roadblocks to their ability to use green
power projects to promote economic
development.
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April 2009 Throne Speech : BC government
clarified that the BCUC “will receive specific
direction”
October 2009: Special direction #2: ordered
BCUC to rely on no more than 900 MW
capacity and 0 GW/yr firm energy
May 2010: Clean Energy Act passed.
 New IRP process
 Removed from BCUC scrutiny
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What are the consequences of removing BC
Hydro planning from BCUC review?
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http://www.bchydro.com/etc/medialib/intern
et/documents/planning_regulatory/iep_ltap/2
011q2/bc_hydro_irp__webinar.Par.0001.File.BC-Hydro-IRPWebinar-Presentation-April-2011.pdf
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Timing delayed by rate review
Old: by 2016 enough B.C.-based energy to meet
customer demand even in critical water conditions;
and by 2020, an extra 3,000 gigawatt hour per year
of insurance energy
 New: by 2016, enough B.C.-based energy to meet
customer demand in an average water year
 The Province will also propose changes to the Clean
Energy Act to eliminate the insurance requirement
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Approved plan calls for new independent
power projects
What happens now?
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49.9 MW – Ledcor –
Innergex
Extensive review by
Squamish-Lillooet
Regional District (SLRD)
SLRD rejected
BC government passed
Bill 30 to “bring
certainty” to approval
process – 2006
Project approved –
commercial operation
began Dec 09
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Should local or regional governments have
the right to veto power projects?
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Environmental Assessment as a policy tool – a
“procedural policy instrument”
 Requires analysis and procedure but does not specify
outcome
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Proposal from proponent
Screening – is EA required and if so what
kind?
Scoping – what issues?
Assessment of the proposal
Report preparation, submission, and review
Decision: recommendation by EA body,
authoritative decision by political body
Monitoring and compliance follow-up
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Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
 Came into force in 1995
 Since 1972, governed by cabinet guidelines
 applies to anything that requires federal approval
or permit
 Procedures managed by Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency, within Environment Canada
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Usually, if federal EA no provincial EA
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Determine if an environmental assessment is required
Identify responsible authority (RA)
screening – initial assessment
If potentially significant adverse effects or significant public
concern, requires mediation or panel review
4. Conduct the analysis and prepare the environmental
assessment report
5. RA Reviews environmental assessment report
6. Make environmental assessment decision
7. Implement mitigation and follow-up program, as
appropriate
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(a) where, taking into account the implementation of any
mitigation measures that the responsible authority considers
appropriate,
(i) the project is not likely to cause significant adverse
environmental effects, or
(ii) the project is likely to cause significant adverse
environmental effects that can be justified in the
circumstances
the responsible authority may exercise any power or perform
any duty or function that would permit the project to be
carried out in whole or in part
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99% of projects approved
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Gold and copper mine
west of Williams Lake
BC
 Proposal would use
Fish Lake as tailings
pond
 Federal EA process
 Proponent insisted a
BC EA be done
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PROVINCE
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FEDERAL
BC gov approves despite
serious problems identified
by gov agencies in quality
of analysis and magnitude
of impacts
Panel assessment far more
rigorous on data, analysis
 Concluded significant
impacts to environment
and First Nations concerns
 Cabinet rejects mine
proposal
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Update: Taseko has resubmitted a revised proposal that is now under review
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Vertical Coordination (across jurisdictions)
Horizontal Coordination (across agencies)
 Includes issues of “substitution”
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Scoping
Cumulative effects
Followup
Strategic assessments
Missing?
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“effects that are additive or interactive and
result from the recurrence of actions over time.
Cumulative impacts are incremental and result
when undertakings build on or add to the
impacts of previous impacts.”
Consideration required in federal rules,
permitted but not required in BC
What is the best way to deal with cumulative
effects in project level assessments?
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Sustainability as core
objective
 Strengthen public
participation
 Meaningfully engage
Aboriginal
governments as
decision makers
 Legal framework for
strategic and regional
EA
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Require
comprehensive,
regional cumulative
effects assessments
Coordinate multiple
jurisdictions with
highest standards
Transparency
Fair, predictable,
accessible
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protect and advance the public interest;
promote a fair and competitive market economy;
make decisions based on evidence;
create accessible, understandable, and responsive
regulation;
 advance the efficiency and effectiveness of
regulation; and
 require timelines, policy coherence, and minimal
duplication.
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IRP + PROJECT SPECIFIC
ASSESSMENT/APPROVALS
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risks larger than necessary
local environmental effects
Risks less satisfied public
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
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Risks delay in renewable
development (and climate
change mitigation)
An important tradeoff that needs to be
considered in process design
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