Well folks, I am going to start with the same comment I made a couple of weeks ago.   Our community needs a long term solution to our POWER situation and all parties need to work together towards that outcome.  We’ve been told that the 230kV line on the west bench coming up from Invermere is the answer and I’ve gotten to the point where I can see the merits of that solution.   I also recognize that there will be a price to be paid and that price is a minimum 50 meter wide swath through the forest on the west bench.  Quite a price to pay and prior to being willing to pay that price we should ensure that we have explored all the other options. 

There has been much discussion about the pros and cons of run-of-the-river hydro projects.   It seems that the whole world is doing it and yet in the province of BC, although we have many rivers, we only have a limited number of operating projects.   Something worth exploring, possibly, but BCTC is saying that a number of projects were identified however none of these could provide reliable and dependable power to the area due to low flows during winter months.   In March of 2005 BCTC produced a report called the Golden-Invermere-Cranbrook 230/69 kv System      IPP Generation Transfer Capability From Golden to Cranbrook.   It is stated that the purpose of the web publication is to post information concerning the capacity of the system supplying this area to ensure that all prospective IPP developers in this area would have equal access to the information.    Well that was four and a half years ago and with no run-of-the-river power production in place I am beginning to believe that either BCTC is correct or the process to develop an IPP is extremely onerous and lengthy.  

In BCTC’s Columbia Valley Transmission Project  - Project Alternatives – Information Sheet dated May 16, 2009 they state that within the area of interest, there are ten known hot spring areas; however, water temperature may not be able to meet the minimum requirements for economically viable geothermal development and that no known geothermal power generation plans in the area have been identified or planned that meet the required in-service date.   This one is even more confusing for me in that I have heard from ‘experts and lay people alike’ that this is the answer to our situation………..and then I hear from ‘experts and lay people alike’ that this has absolutely no potential at all for power production.  Well, I’ve always been a believer of doing your homework and at this point in time I don’t see any evidence that the homework has been done.  It is my understanding that prior to getting into a costly detailed resource evaluation and feasibility study, it is wise to conduct a base-line study to tell us if we have a viable resource and where is it approximately and what we can do with it.   This study is worth approximately $20,000.  If something is found a more detailed resource and technology study, including GIS maps for potential resource and potential market areas, would need to be done.   This second study would be worth an additional $10,000.  Now if we really wanted to do our homework we would go for the ‘full meal deal’ that would cost in the range of $50,000 and this would give us a full business case with cash flow projections.   If all of this work was done it would provide us with a clear idea about our options and the costs and benefits of each option.

Now I don’t know about you folks, but if I was going to be spending $140 million dollars on creating a new powerline from Golden to Invermere I would certainly ensure that I invested $80,000 to determine whether or not this geothermal option was viable……..or not.   To date I have not seen such a report.  I am hopeful that BCTC has this report and that they are willing to share it with our community, we need to work together.   We need the opportunity to review the report and then possibly get a third party opinion on the report.   We as a community need to know and understand that there are no other options available before we are willing to sacrifice our valley to the power line. 

If the due diligence has been done and there are no other options that will provide us with safe, reliable and cost-effective power that is a long term solution for our community; then we need to put our loggers to work and clear that 50 meter by 125 kilometer swath.   The sooner the better.

Ron Oszust

CSRD Area A Director