Debating Hydropower: The Bennett Dam and Site C

Readings for today’s class

¤  Izony, D. and Dowlatabadi, H. (2016). “BC Hydro and the Duty of Care.” Vancouver Sun, 29 September. http://vancouversun.com/opinion/opinion-bc-hydro-and-duty-of-care

¤ Beck, M. W. et al. (2012). “Environmental and livelihood impacts of dams: common lessons across development gradients that challenge sustainability.” International Journal of River Basin Management, DOI:10.1080/15715124.2012.656133

Learning Objectives

¤ Hydropower: Canada and British Columbia

¤ Case Study: Bennett Dam

¤ Case Study: The Site C Project

Hydropower

A renewable source of energy which uses the force (or energy) of moving water to generate power

Source: Colorado Office State Web Portal.

Hydropower

¤ Hydroelectricity is generated when falling water is channeled through water turbines, turning the blades and generating electricity

¤  In the late 19th century, hydropower first became a source for generating electricity.

Hoover Dam. Source: Bechtel 2016. Three Gorges Dam. Source: The Asia-Pacific Journal.

¤ Large scale

¤ Longevity

¤ “Firm” supply

Advantages Disadvantages

¤ Environmental damage

¤ Displacement of local and Indigenous peoples

¤ Expensive to build

¤ Potential accidents

Win-win?

Hydropower in Canada

¤ Canada is the world’s second largest producer of hydroelectricity (after China) and one of the top ten dam builders in the world

¤ Over 10,000 existing dams – of which 933 are considered “large” dams and 479 hydroelectric generating stations (ICOLD) ¤  Large dams measure at 10 to 15m high and 150m wide

Source: Monk and Baird 2010.

Canada’s Climate Strategy

¤ Scenario planning ¤  Significant growth in hydropower electricity generation by 2050 ¤  Between 101,500 MW and 130,000 MW

¤  Equivalent to 80 to 120 additional Site C projects

¤ Discussion of impacts is cursory ¤  Does not mention key environmental impacts (e.g. mercury) ¤  Does not mention s. 35 of the Constitution (Indigenous land rights)

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Case Study: W.A.C. Bennett Dam

W.A.C. Bennett Dam

¤ Large hydroelectric dam located on the Peace River in northern British Columbia

¤ 183m tall, 800m wide and 2km long

¤ Total cost of the dam was $750 million – it is one of the largest projects of its kind in the Province

Hydropower in British Columbia

¤ Mountains, rivers and lakes make the Province geographically well-suited for generating hydroelectricity

¤ 90% of BC Hydro generation is produced by hydroelectric means – natural gas and biomass thermal power make up the remaining 10%

Largest dam is the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River

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Treaty 8

The Mackenzie Basin

Water-Energy Nexus

History of the Peace River

¤  Indigenous communities, including Treaty 8 First Nations’ hunting, fishing and trapping grounds, sustaining generations with food and cultural sustenance

¤  Important migration route and gateway for exploration of B.C.’s interior and fur trade expansion

¤ First Nations traditional and sacred sites as well as heritage sites from the fur trade

Peace-Athabasca Delta §  The Peace-Athabasca Delta is the largest freshwater inland

delta in the world and is formed where the Peace and Athabasca rivers converge on the Slave River and Lake Athabasca

§  Two existing dams on the Peace River have already

significantly changed the flow of the river downstream – the net impact has been less water in the Delta, resulting in a loss of habitat

§  Site C might bring relatively small environmental changes compared to the existing dams – but the cumulative effects could push the Peace-Athabasca Delta toward collapse

Two Rivers Policy

¤ Then Premier W.A.C. Bennett (1952-1972) was committed to large-scale state-directed development in the Province

¤ Bennett conceived the “Two Rivers Policy” which aimed to develop the hydroelectric potential of both the Peace and Columbia Rivers at the same time

Bennett Dam: Site Selection

¤ Then BC Minister of Land and Forests proposed turning sections of the Peace and Columbia River basins into a source of power generation

¤  12 locations were identified as potential sites to build a dam

¤ Gordon Shrum (physics professor at UBC) was responsible for conducting a study on cost-effectiveness for developing dams on the two rivers

It was concluded that it would be cheaper to build on the Peace River – only if a public company was used to lower

interest rates available to Crown corporations

Bennett Dam: Development

¤ Construction was managed by Shrum – the appointed Head of the newly created BC Hydro crown corporation (CC)

¤ BC Hydro was created by the Provincial government specifically as a way to finance the project through lower interest rates available only to CC

Upon completion, the Bennett dam became one of the biggest earth-filled dams using one of the largest hydroelectric

generating stations in the world

Bennett Dam: Environmental Effects

¤ Upstream (due to flooding of land) •  Drowning of significant amount of wildlife •  Destruction of aquatic species and habitats in the river

¤ Downstream (due to hydrological alterations) •  Drastic fluctuations in water levels of Peace River

impacting both plants and animals in the region •  Changes to landscape of Athabasca Delta as the river

faces significant water loss

Bennett Dam: Social Impacts

¤ Displacement of 150 individuals and families due to the construction of the dam – of which one-third were members of the Tsay Keh Dene First Nations

¤ Construction of the dam and the Williston Reservoir also flooded the heart of Tsay Keh Dene territory:

¤  Flooding disrupted traditional food gathering and cultural practices for communities that supported themselves by hunting and trapping

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2016: Tsay Keh Dene and Bennett Dam

http://vancouversun.com/opinion/opinion-bc-hydro-and-duty-of-care

“Although next to a massive hydropower project, the village continues to rely on diesel for electricity…leading to blackouts and flickering lights on a weekly basis. “Their cogeneration proposal won a $1-million award from B.C.’s Innovative Clean Energy competition, yet BC Hydro blocked it.” “Despite overwhelming evidence about environmental and social harm from high dams, sufficiency of electricity supply of at least two decades, and rapid progress in other forms of low-impact renewable power, BC Hydro continues to promote Site C. In doing so, they are repeating their pattern of violations of rights 70 km to the west.” --Chief Dennis Izony and Professor Hadi Dowlatabadi, UBC

Evolving perspectives

June 2016 – BC Hydro installed a new exhibit at the site of the W.A.C. Bennett dam acknowledging how the dam is negatively impacted Aboriginal communities in the region

“They call it progress, we call it destruction.”

Case Study: Site C Dam

Photo: Desmog Canada 2016

MAP Where is Site C?

History of Site C ¤  Early plans for Site C developed in the 1950s when a

predecessor of BC Hydro was exploring hydroelectric potential of the Peace River

¤  In 1983 and 1989, the provincial government rejected the Site C proposal, following BC Utilities Commission recommendation that Site C was “too risky and costly”

¤  2000s: Project re-initiated ¤  2012: Federal and provincial agreement to conduct a

cooperative environmental assessment on Site C, including the establishment of a Joint Review Panel (JRP)

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Regulatory Gaps

¤  JRP had limited time and resources

¤  JRP stated in their report that insufficient time or resources limited their ability to properly assess certain key issues, including costs of Site C, and thus recommended the project be referred to the BC Utilities Commission

¤  Site C exempted from review by BC Utilities Commission

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First Nations and Site C

¤ Site C proceeds despite the fact that environmental assessment process undertaken by Canadian and British Columbian governments for Site C Project did not consider whether or not its approval would constitute an infringement of First Nations rights under Treaty No. 8

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Environmental impacts

¤ Site C has a higher number of “significant adverse environmental effects” than any other project ever assessed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act ¤ Impacts on dozens of species, aquatics,

vegetation, wildlife, Aboriginal use of lands and resources, and cultural heritage

¤ Alternative portfolio proposed by BC Hydro = no “significant adverse environmental effects”

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GHG Emissions Analysis

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Site C does not deliver energy and capacity at significantly lower GHG emissions than put forward in BC Hydro’s

Alternative Portfolio

www.sitecstatement.org

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Deemer, Bridget R., et al. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Reservoir Water Surfaces: A New Global Synthesis." BioScience (2016).

Economics of Site C

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n Energy conservation 1/3 as expensive but BC Hydro reduces demand side management to minimum n Export potential very low n Lock-in rates requiring long-term subsidies mean increased bills to ratepayers n Retrofitting existing dams another option n Risk of a “Stranded Asset” Note: “Point of no return” not yet reached

Summary

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Site C is: n Not the most effective at GHG emissions reductions n Highest environmental impacts of any option n Not the best strategy for long-term local jobs n Significant, irreversible impacts on Indigenous peoples n Not the most cost-effective choice

Opposition to Site C

Protestors at Site C dam in northern B.C. have left signs near worksite

Opposition to Site C

Amnesty International

¤  “Although the federal and provincial governments have both asserted that the harms caused by the dam are justified, the actual need for the dam has not been clearly established and alternatives have not been properly explored.”

¤  “No amount of consultation is adequate if, at the end of the day, the concerns of indigenous peoples are not seriously considered and their human rights remain unacknowledged or unprotected.”

BC Hydro’s response

“Amnesty International has raised a number of important issues with respect to the resource economy, community services and broad determinants of health and wellness for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. At BC Hydro, we care about these issues as well, and have developed extensive mitigation measures.”

Questions

1.  Which kind of hydro?

2.  Economics: Will new hydropower projects potentially be “stranded assets”?

3.  Environment: How do we balance environmental impacts with climate change goals?

4.  Social: What about impacts on Indigenous communities, and “free, prior, and informed consent?”

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1. Which kind of hydro?

¤ How can we optimize existing assets before building new ones?

¤ If we build new dams, which hydro options should be prioritized, where? ¤ Pumped storage hydro? ¤ Run of river?

¤ Capacity can come from many different sources – evaluate tradeoffs

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2. Economic Issues

¤ Average cost overruns globally: 27%

¤ Solar and wind will be cheaper than hydro by 2030

Technological innovation means that new big hydro dams may in some cases be

“stranded assets”

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3. Environmental Issues

¤ High level of environmental impacts

¤ Aquatic and human health impacts (e.g. methylmercury)

¤ Lifecycle GHG emissions

To what extent can 21st century renewables deliver same or better GHG emissions reductions with lower

overall environmental impact? 47

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Schartup A. et al. Freshwater discharges drive high levels of methylmercury in Arctic marine biota. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , 112 (38), 11789-11794. 2015.

4. Indigenous peoples

¤ UNDRIP ¤ Indigenous water rights ¤ Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)

¤ Evolving Canadian jurisprudence: ¤ Tsilhqot'in (SCC 2014): Aboriginal title reaffirmed and

expanded ¤ Halalt First Nation v. British Columbia (Environment),

2011 BCSC 94: FN have a proprietary interest in groundwater beneath their reserve

How do we reconcile hydropower with evolving legal framework for Indigenous rights?

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Summary

1.  In a climate constrained future, the choice of hydropower versus other renewables is a key question for Canada

2.  Role and extent of hydropower in Canada’s energy future merits critical scrutiny because of high degree of environmental impacts, potential economic risks, and impacts on Indigenous peoples

Next class

Review for midterm

**Reading and lecture notes on course website**

http://blogs.ubc.ca/geog310/