Nelson/Creston Green Party granted intervener status into FortisBC application process
By Nelson Daily Staff
FortisBC applied to the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) in July 2012 to replace approximately 115,000 manually read meters with advanced meters in the West Kootenay and the Okanagan and incorporate supporting hardware and software.
The BCUC process begins in Trail Tuesday (November 6) and, front and center at the meeting will be the Nelson/Creston arm of the B.C. Green Party.
The local association was granted intervener status into the FortisBC application process.
“The health concerns of individuals about wireless smart meters are still a matter of debate in the scientific community so Greens only endorse the installation of hard wired smart meters that make use of existing electricity or telephone lines,” Nelson/Creston Green Party candidate Sjeng Derkx said in a written release.
The Trail meeting is the first step in the process that continues in Kelowna in February 2013.
Derkx, along with Green Party energy critic Michael Jessen, plan to lobby for the “hard wired smart meters” in place of the proposed “wireless smart meters” by FortisBC and now in use by B.C. Hydro.
“Wired-in meters are made by the same company from which FortisBC is proposing to purchase its meters,” Derkx explained. “Wired-in meters have been used successfully in Idaho, Vermont, and in Italy.”
FortisBC believes the project will have a $19 million saving over the life of the project helping to keep rates lower for electricity customers, provide enhanced information to customers, detect and restore power outages and reduce electrical theft.
FortisBC estimates approximately $3.7 million is stolen from the company annually, money that could be used to reduce customer rates.
But the Green Party isn’t buying the forecasts by the local utility and B.C. Hydro, the trend setter in the province in the smart meter debate.
“Nelson-Creston Greens are very concerned with the way BC Hydro was allowed to implement their smart meter program, especially the bullying tactics employed by the utility toward persons who didn’t want the meters,” said Jessen.
“The Green Party is calling for a moratorium on further smart meter installations by BC Hydro since the utility is accepting no responsibility for the interference caused by smart meter radio transmissions with wireless Internet service providers in the Lardeau area,” Jessen added.
The BCUC Community Input Session is being held at Trail’s Best Western Plus Columbia River Hotel beginning at 3 p.m.
The Community Input Session meetings then shift to Osoyoos Wednesday and Kelowna Thursday. Both meetings begin at 3 p.m.
The Kelowna Community Input Session follows the Procedural Conference at the same Best Western Plus Kelowna Hotel and Suites, which begins at 9:30 a.m.
FortisBC has a chance to respond to the interveners in front of the BCUC on November 9, 23 and December 14.
