It is ironic that within weeks of its much publicized report and stated concern about the upward pressures on BC Hydro rates, the government announces a job strategy that will drive up electricity rates more than anything else — more even than the self-sufficiency policy government has belatedly recognized must go. The plan for new [...]
Marvin Shaffer’s Blog Posts
Marvin Shaffer is a consulting economist specializing in energy, transportation and natural resource economics. He is also an adjunct professor in the Public Policy Masters Program at SFU, where he teaches a course on benefit-cost analysis. Recent publications include Lost in Transmission, a three part critique of the British Columbia Energy Plan. More about Marvin on the SFU website .
A ‘Jobs for Jobs’ Strategy
September 23rd, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · Comments Off · Economy, Employment & labour, Energy
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So Where is the Science?
September 8th, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · 2 Comments · Climate change, Energy, Environment, resources & sustainability
The headline in the Globe today was certainly ominous — “Clark’s Hydro policy threatens to collapse B.C.’s climate change progress, scientist says”. The purported policy change seemed scary — the government might roll back the requirement for BC Hydro to be able to meet domestic electricity requirements in drought conditions. And the scientist’s description of [...]
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BC Hydro Review
August 12th, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · 2 Comments · Energy
If it were true that BC Hydro could effectively plan and operate its system with 20% fewer workers, as the government panel has recently suggested in its Review of BC Hydro, one would have to assume that the BC Hydro Executive and Board, as well as the BC Utilities Commission, have all grossly failed in their [...]
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Hiding $5 Billion
June 23rd, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · Comments Off · Privatization, P3s & public services
A reporter from back East called me yesterday to ask about the B.C. Auditor General’s May report into a Vancouver Coastal Health Authority P3. As Keith Reynolds pointed out, the AG found that the actual costs of the P3 were much higher than what the Coastal Authority and Partnerships BC had said they would be. [...]
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To HST or Not to HST
June 19th, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · 5 Comments · Economy, Taxes
The campaign to save the HST is rather shameless, not to mention bad public policy. We won’t, as HST spin masters would have it, pay less tax with the new and improved HST. The amount of tax we collectively pay depends on the amount of services and support government provides — total government spending– not [...]
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An Interesting Spin
February 23rd, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · 3 Comments · Economy, Energy
In its latest planning document, BC Hydro is forecasting a rate increase of 50% over the next five years. In fact, earlier BC Hydro submissions to the BC Utilities Commission revealed that rates are expected to increase at that pace for the next ten years, with rates forecast to more than double over that period. Not [...]
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The IPP Lobby’s Top Ten
January 4th, 2011 · Marvin Shaffer · 3 Comments · Energy, Environment, resources & sustainability
The Vancouver Sun’s Gordon Hamilton reports that the IPP lobby, BC Citizens for Green Energy, has released a Letterman-like top ten reasons for the development of more of their run-of-river and other ‘green’ power projects. Though not as funny as Letterman, the BCCGE’s top ten could bring out a laugh, except for the serious environmental and [...]
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Olympics – ‘Rousing Financial Success’?
December 19th, 2010 · Marvin Shaffer · 2 Comments · Economy
Though not a true believer myself, I can think of a number of positive impacts from the 2010 Olympics. There was, without question, a community spirit seldom if ever seen in Vancouver. There was a renewed commitment to excellence in sport. However, one thing I couldn’t imagine anyone suggesting is that it was a “rousing [...]
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Feds got it right on Prosperity
November 8th, 2010 · Marvin Shaffer · Comments Off · Economy, Environment, resources & sustainability
The federal government made the right decision in rejecting the Prosperity mine proposal. The project would have had significant adverse environmental effects, and that for some is reason enough to deny approval. But even if one were willing to accept the environmental impacts because of the economic benefits the project would have offered, it is [...]
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HST and the NDP
August 21st, 2010 · Marvin Shaffer · 3 Comments · Economy, Provincial budget & finance
Let’s face it. You can’t blame the NDP or anyone else enjoying the drubbing the Liberals are getting from Bill Vander Zalm and co. It is incredibly fun to watch. There is no question that the drubbing is well deserved. Whatever one thinks of the merits of an HST versus the PST it replaced, it [...]
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