VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – British Columbia’s government has given the green light for construction of the massive Site C hydroelectric dam on the Peace River.

“After taking a deep and prudent look at the merits and the drawbacks of project and after a great deal of discussion between us. It was not an easy decision to come to, because it shouldn’t have been an easy decision to come to. It’s one that required our most diligent work and we took the time to give it our attention,” explains Premier Christy Clark.

Clark says the province is reducing future electricity demand through energy and conservation, but that doesn’t eliminate the need for new energy. “Some alternative options are certainly just as clean and just as sustainable, but none are as affordable for taxpayers and ratepayers.”

She says past generations have taught us about the value of projects like Site C. “They attract industry, they create thousands of jobs, they leave more money in the pockets of ratepayers and they generate clean and reliable power.”

The dam would be the third on the river, flooding 5,550 hectares of land over an 83-kilometre stretch of valley.

Crown-owned utility BC Hydro says Site C would generate an estimated 1,100 megawatts of capacity, or enough to power the equivalent of 450,000 homes a year.

Chief Executive Officer for BC Hydro Jessica McDonald says she’s well aware the Site C will have an affect on local communities, on wildlife and habitat, on the environment and First Nations. “We’re committed to mitigating those affects. Mitigation measures form a part of the conditions of our environmental assessment certificate. We’re also committed to continuing our dialogue with local residents and First Nations communities and ensuring benefits from this project flow to the region.”

“Our intent is to continue discussions with First Nations. We would like to enter into Impact Benefit Agreements with First Nations in order to accommodate for impacts that can’t be mitigated,” McDonald adds.

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs is calling this an ill-advised and incredibly stupid decision.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says six individual lawsuits will now be filed.

“This is not merely a First Nations issue. There’s broad-based opposition to this project.”

He says the project will impact their rights of being able to hunt, fish, trap and harvest across their lands.

BC’s clean energy industry is disappointed in the decision to approve the project.

Paul Kariya with Clean Energy BC says his industry has proven to be a valid and cost-effective alternative…also a big creator of jobs.

He doesn’t buy Christy Clark’s thinking that Site C is the cheapest way to power the province.

“Government is backstopping this project and we’re thinking that you can do that but you bear all of the risks when you had a private sector who could come very competitively to the price and the private sector would bear the risk.”

A joint federal-provincial environmental assessment panel made no clear recommendation for or against the project last May, but First Nations and environmental groups vow to fight the proposal in the courts and through public protests.

Construction on the Site C dam will start next summer and is expected to be completed in 2024.