The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 12, 1996 - A15 Glultinlo Die(u viele NIEM inlulm(slele 635-0422 » When you - can't breathe, North could be hurt by hydro rat plan nothing else. - matters® - DEGREGULATED ELEC. [—pg—7-—= epee FRITSCH ta IN/E|M julollula|s| TRICAL markets could 731-LUNG or Mon - Fri 6PM. - 11P.M. i: bring a few shocks to north- 4-800-665-LUNG ‘ em B.C, residents, Saturday 9A.M. - 11P.M. The warning comes froma little community that’s worried about tioves io shake up the way electricity is delivered throughout North America. The District of Hudson’s Hope is circulating a back- ground paper on the subject, waming northem BC. municipalities to get in. volved in the debate over restructured electrical inarkets before it’s too late, “Postage stamp rates’? now enjoyed in B.C. will come under attack as elec- tricity moves around North America without restriction, the paper warns. (Postage stamp rates mean cuslomers anywhere in the province pay the same rate for the same class of ser- vice.) Large industrial customers are looking for cheaper TERRACE COMMUNITY BAND presents Featuring | py FERRACE COMMUNITY BAND “., Gold Medal Winners PERFORMING HI? OUERTURE sources of power and as DIRECTED BY e* SPECIAL GUEST they do that, it couldhave, =i athe para : y AIM RYAN DON CLARK ripple effect on domestic THOSE FAMILIAR blue B.C, Hydro trucks may continue to be seen in the north ~ VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR TRUMPETER USEIS. but the way hydro power is delivered and what the cost might be for ordinary con- “Consumers, especially large industrials, want out of old rates so they can tap into the newer, much cheaper producers,’ the paper stales, Califomia, for example, is deregulating and opening its lines, allowing producers to move cheaper power along major transmission lines for a fee (known as ‘retail wheeling’’). And as B.C. Hydro begins to take advantage and wheel power into California, the paper warns, pressure will sumers could change if the crown corporation's plans receive ultimate approval. The move foward deregulation has Caught the attention of Hudson’s Hope council. Although many north- erners feel they’re safe from increases because they live so close to power generation points, ‘‘ain’t necessarily so,” says Gwen Johansson, a councillor for the district. The population of north- em B.C. is scattered, and that means servicing the region is expensive, the dis- system, the electricity bill in northem B.C, would go up: it’s a lot cheaper to provide Services to 100 houses per block in Vancouver than it is to serve 100 houses strung between... Smithers and Bums Lake." Moves are already under way. B,C. Hydro has al- ready applied to the B.C. Utilities Commission for permission to share trans- mission systems to move Wholesale electricity from BC, And the Crown corpora- tion will soon make an “‘industrial_ service options application” to ‘‘unbundle’? some of its services to in- dustrial customers. SPECIAL GUEST MASTER OF CEREMONIES DENNIS TUPMAN Tickets Avoilable at: SIGHT & SOUND TICKET OUTLET in the SKEENA MALL. Adults: $12.00 Students & Seniors: $10.00 © Children 5 and under: FREE \ ‘\ =~ SATURDAY, June 15,1996 REM: Lee Theatre at Bpm > build from U.S. firms to do the same here. Big guys may benefit trom cheaper power ~ “UNBUNDLING”’ ELECTRICAL Service means Splitting the various components of power service, such as generalion, transmission and distribu- lion and presenting industrial customers with new options for buying electricity, B.C. Hydro will apply to eliminate the standard hydro package for industri- al customers and create three new op- lions: real time pricing, standby and curtailable service. B.C. Hydro maintains the changes result from customer demand and in- creasing competition, “We're basically doing this in response to what is happening to the electric utility industry in North Amer- ica and the growing element of compe- tition that you see happening,” says Steven Rybak, public affairs coor- dinator for B.C, Hydro. But unbundling, which affects indus- trial users only, might have some long- term side effects, according to an ad- vocacy watchdog group. In the future, industrial customers may demand more options, such as buying cheaper electricity elsewhere and wheeling it through B.C Hydro lines. If that happens, says Michael Doherty, a lawyer with the B.C. Public Interest Advocacy Centre, B.C. Hydro Will lose revenue. ““Whal is likely to tend to happen is that those of us left on the system for everylhing may end up paying more be- Cause we’re now having to carry the BEAN ALL WEATHER GARDENER WITH A., SOLAR OPTIC GREENHOUSE * Warmer in winter * Cooler in summer * Regulates temperature cussion paper points out. “In a fully deregulated producers in some U.S. States and Alberta lbrough festivities 2 re, ‘ - on : HEY DADS! JOIN US AT THE SKEENAMALL = SATURDAY, JUNE 15. 2 =e whole system.’’ The advocacy centre represents six client organizations on energy applica- tions, including seniors’ groups. “Let’s say that Hydro is having to compete with other suppliers, Because Hydro would want to compete, just like McDonald’s and Burger King,”’ Doherty said. ‘“‘Hydro would be inter- ested in giving a competitive advantage to those customers who are able to go elsewhere.”’ For fun and games in our -= That could also spell higher rates. — But Rybak stressed that retail wheel- Game Room. ing (allowing industrial customers to ni buy electricity cheaper elsewhere and e Miniature Golf ee move it through Hydro lines) is being . i proposed at this time. ) Hockey Shot © Fishing Hole “Anything that we proposed does not e Hoops Bi: have any elements of retail wheeling in it,’’ he said. “We're talking solely about changing some of the services that we offer our cuslomers.’’ Residential customers will not bear the cost of unbundling, according to Rybak, “The entire cost of this will be retained within the industrial class, Our proposal is not to sce any shifting of revenucs from one class to another,’” As for the long-term, Rybak said il’s anyone’s gucss, He compared it to whal’s happening in the telephone market. “*Who knows what’s going to happen in a decade?’’ he said of changes that could take place, Bring atong the kids and get set for fun! 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For all your Spring Tune-Up Needs Come in for a coffee and browse JUNE 13,14&45 MON. = Friv.csssesssenneae8 am - 6 pm 1.AM-5PM DAILY, ; | SALES REP, AVAILABLE SPRING DELIVERY SA eB aT 8 pm : ADE IN CANADA: Imperial Systems Inc.: Box 1110, pen cays aw Le Summerland, B.C, VOH 1Z0 (604) 494-3226