Vancouver-- The Northwest Powerline Coalition today released its Delivering Green Power to Northern British Columbia, an updated report based on a 2008 document by the Mining Association of BC.  Delivering Green Power to Northern British Columbia provides a detailed and timely overview of the environmental and economic benefits the proposed powerline along the Highway 37 Corridor will have for northern BC, and all Canadians. 

The global economic crisis, coupled with increasing concerns regarding climate change, and the availability of new information related to many projects and communities that will benefit from access to reliable power along the corridor, made it clear that an update of the report was extremely important.

Coalition Co-Chair and CEO of the Northern Development Initiative Trust, Janine North said, “The coalition advocates for a partnership funding strategy to develop the Highway 37 transmission corridor.  The powerline will unleash economic growth and employment from new mine and power project developments in this resource rich area of BC.”

Elmer Derrick, Chief, Treaty Negotiator of the Gitxsan First Nation and Coalition Co-Chair, said, “ We are very pleased that the BC Government has committed $10 million to complete the environmental assessment process for the powerline, and has committed a further $250 million to construct the line if additional partners can be secured.” Derrick went on to say, “The powerline will provide a training and employment platform that offers local First Nations the ability to build transferable employment skills and improve the living conditions in their communities.”

The immediate greenhouse gas emission reduction from the shutdown of current diesel generation combined with the estimated avoided emissions from the generation of green energy of approved and licensed run-of-river projects from Terrace to Dease Lake is 208,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, or the equivalent of almost 35,000 cars. Emissions avoided by powering all potential mining projects off the powerline grid instead of diesel, which is the only current alternative, would exceed 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 per year or the equivalent of removing 629,000 cars from the road.

Governments around the world are dedicating significant capital to support infrastructure projects, such as the Highway 37 powerline, that are shovel ready to provide local employment and economic stimulus, and which encourage new capital investment.

Click title to read full report: Delivering Green Power to Northern British Columbia: A discussion on the benefits of a new power transmission line to Northern British Columbia

For Further Information Please Contact:

Janine North
CEO Northern Development Initiative Trust
Co-Chair, Northwest Powerline Coalition
Ph: 250-561-2525

Elmer Derrick
Chief, Negotiator, Gitxsan
Co-Chair, Northwest Powerline Coalition
Ph: 250-615-6469

Gavin Dirom
President and CEO
Association for Mineral Exploration BC
Ph: 778-233-6459

Pierre Gratton
President and CEO
Mining Association of BC
Ph: 604-681-4321 

The Northwest Power Coalition

The Northwest Power Coalition is a volunteer grass roots organization representing 74 active member groups including 49 communities and Regional Districts, First Nations Leadership and joint venture businesses, the Association for Mineral Exploration BC, the Mining Association of BC and the Northern Development Initiative Trust. In addition the coalition includes mining and independent power producers, major national and international consulting firms, Chambers of Commerce, Alaskan boroughs (communities) and several Alaskan independent power producers.

The coalition acknowledges the valuable assistance provided by the Mining Association of BC, Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. and Levelton Consultants in the preparation of the original report.

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By Pierre Gratton
In a recent flurry of media activity, Daniel Veniez, Chair of Ridley Terminals Inc. (RTI), has rightly pointed out that the future of the port terminal should not be a political football nor ideologically driven.  Unfortunately, it is clear through his actions and through his efforts to sell RTI to a single private interest that he is engaged in both.

Ridley is a strategic asset critical to the growth of northeastern British Columbia and beyond.  It is one of the key reasons, for example, that the Northeast BC coal sector has undergone a remarkably strong reemergence in recent years, driven by the growing demand for high quality steel-making coal in emerging Asian markets. A recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ study of BC’s mining sector performance in 2008 reported record levels of production, new investment, job growth and the highest industrial wages of any sector, due in large part to the province’s steel-making coal industry. 

This dramatic re-emergence is not abating, despite the current economic downturn, as steel-making coal prices remain at relatively high levels from a historical standpoint.  Indeed, the future of BC’s and Alberta’s steel-making coal sector and that of communities such as Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Prince Rupert, has not looked so bright in many years. 

This new investment has not only meant high-paying jobs and spin-off benefits for what had been an economically depressed region of British Columbia, but also new revenues for governments and an important contribution to Canada’s trade balance. The strategic importance of BC’s and Alberta’s steel-making coal resource cannot be understated – it is one of the top three jurisdictions in the world for steel-making coal and can and will play a pivotal role enabling the rapid industrialization of emerging Asian markets – and the recovery of our own.

A key challenge for many of western Canada’s exporters is their inability to control its single largest cost element – rail costs – due to their captivity to monopoly pricing practices. Given this, it would exacerbate matters for current and future producers and exporters were RTI sold to a private company, which would lead to another monopolistic service provider or restricted access for property developers. RTI was never intended to become a profit centre for the federal government. In fact, it was created with the single purpose of enabling economic development in Northern BC.

To continue to do play this role and to drive future development, RTI’s throughput rates must be kept at competitive levels against international markets to direct volume to the terminal.  Sale to a private entity would hold all users of the port hostage to monopolistic pricing, which is not in their interests, nor the interests of the citizens of Northeastern BC and British Columbians and Albertans, generally.

Like Mr. Veniez, we were encouraged by the decision of the Conservative government to cancel the previous government’s proposed divestiture as their first order of government on February 7, 2006. His efforts to improve the viability of the port are commendable.  Nevertheless, the fundamental rationale for not privatizing the port in 2006 remains as true today as then.

We are thus heartened by comments made by the Honourable Jay Hill, who clearly understands the importance of the public sector’s involvement in RTI at this time. A sensible option would be to transfer the RTI asset to the Prince Rupert Port Authority, which would create obvious synergies and efficiencies. In addition, a new management structure should be formed comprised of port users, who would operate the terminal on a not-for-profit basis focused on delivering high quality, competitive service for Northeastern economic interests, a model seen elsewhere in Canada and around the world.