A new give up report details how the previous provincial government pressured BC Hydro into sign long - term contract with self-governing power producers ( IPPs ) that will cost B.C. customers more than $ 16 billion over 20 years .

Former B.C. Treasury Board director Ken Davidson redeem his paper , titled Zapped : A review of BC Hydro ’s leverage of exponent from independent ability producers conduct for the Minister of Energy , Mines and Petroleum Resources . It details how the previous political science manufactured an pressing want for business leader while disallowing BC Hydro to produce it , therefore requiring the public utility to buy ability from individual producers at high-flown price . accord to the report , this will at last be the average residential BC Hydro client about $ 4,000 over the next 20 year , or about $ 200 per twelvemonth .

“ British Columbians are paying more on their hydro nib because of the previous authorities ’s pick , ” said Michelle Mungall , Minister of Energy , Mines and Petroleum Resources . “ Professional staff within government and BC Hydro warn them against that course of action , but that administration refused to heed . As a resultant role , these contracts have already cost customers $ 3.2 billion and are fructify to cost billion more over the next two decades . ”

The paper also demonstrates that the power BC Hydro was forced to buy from IPPs was largely the wrong energy visibility . Of the 105 contracts with IPPs since 2002 , 71 were from run - of - river projects , most of which can only be relied on during the bounce spate . BC Hydro does not require more power during that time when the demand is scummy and there is copiousness of water useable in BC Hydro ’s reservoirs .

“ B.C. did n’t benefit . BC Hydro client did n’t do good . A minuscule number of well - place independent power producers benefited , and customers were cleave with a 40 - class requital plan , ”   say Mungall .

The write up notes that hydroelectric multiplication is B.C. ’s metier . BC Hydro ’s dams are flexible resourcefulness that supply neat electricity and can be ramped up and down as necessary .

While there are no quick fixes to the challenge posed by IPP contract bridge , there is an opportunity to deal some of the financial issues when these electricity leverage arrangement expire , namely renewing on a market - pace fundament . The report offers the following recommendation to political science :

These recommendation inform Phase 1 of a comprehensive review of BC Hydro focused on affordability and doctor strait fiscal and regulative oversight . The results of the critique will be herald on Feb. 14 , 2019 .

To translate the report , micro-cook : A review of BC Hydro ’s leverage of great power from independent major power producer conduct for the Minister of Energy , Mines and Petroleum Resources , visit : https://www2.gov.bc.ca / gov / content / industry / electricity - alternative - Department of Energy / electricity / bc - hydro - review