So another week has gone by and as always, I am up to my elbows and stories and the topic of IPPs has again reared its much talked about and always controversial head.

In this particular instance I was writing about a proposed project in the Wood River area. If you are not familiar with this amazing area, it is a beautiful, pristine rain forest right in the Canadian Rockies. There is much debate about this project, as there is surrounding most IPPs, with such concerns as environmental impacts and lack of public consultation. I have never been to Wood River, but I have now seen photographs and spoken with many people that have and I agree that it is a rare and amazing ecosystem that should be very closely studied before any human impacts destroy its raw beauty.

That being said, I am also an advocate of finding ways to create green, renewable energy and IPPs are one of, though quite unpopular in many cases, these kinds of solutions.

This is an ongoing issue that no-one seems to be able to agree on.

The provincial government will tell you that they are very careful about which projects go through and which don’t. They will clarify that only a fraction of those projects that are applied for will be approved. They will say that the need is here and now and we must do something to address B.C.’s energy needs. I believe they are right about that point.

Watchdog groups will tell you that the government is being irresponsible, our natural resources are in danger and the current “blanket” policy for approving IPPs lacks foresight. I believe that to be true as well.

A main point of criticism is the lack of public consultation into these projects. Many applications will have public consultation, but only after they have been awarded the project. This means the public is often left scrambling to fight off unpopular projects. As one interviewee put it to me this week, “we need to be proactive and not reactive.”

But what is the answer?

We need to address renewable energy in the fight to reduce our carbon footprint, says the government. We want to have a say on what happens to our rivers before they are given away, says the public.

Who is right?

Perhaps the not-so-simple answer is that both parties are right. The question remains as to whether the two sides will ever be able to reach an agreement on the future of renewable energy projects in our province.

It promises to be a lively and interesting debate.