Port Moody council plans to oppose the pending closure of the Burrard Thermal power generating facility, citing both financial and environmental concerns.
Coun. Rick Glumac's motion will have staff report back on previous motions regarding the Burrard Thermal closure so council can draft new ones to be sent to the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and the Union of BC Municipalities to oppose the facility's planned closure on March 31, 2016.
A letter from Bill Bennett, the minister of energy and mines, confirmed BC Hydro will decommission generating capacity at Burrard Thermal next year, and that it will cease the annual grant-in-lieu of property tax of nearly $1.3 million the year after the shutdown - about a 4% hit to the city's budget.
The city will continue receiving an annual grant of about $236,000 in lieu of property tax for the land owned by BC Hydro.
But Glumac expressed concern over the planned closure, saying it doesn't make sense for the city or the province.
"At a time when the provincial government is proposing spending billions of dollars on Site C, we have a perfectly functioning and already upgraded facility right here in Port Moody that is able to generate electricity on an emergency basis and on a back-up basis when needed," he said. "The choice to build Site C is only going to raise electricity costs for residents."
Glumac also noted Burrard Thermal has recently undergone pricey upgrades to make it more environmentally friendly, which resulted in a 90% reduction in harmful emissions, and that the facility serves an important safety net function.
"We have to take a strong position on this as a council, for our own taxpayers as well as the ratepayers of the province," Glumac said.
Burrard Thermal was built in the 1960s and is powered by natural gas. It accounts for about 9% of BC Hydro's total capacity, or enough power for about 700,000 homes.
Hydro's 2013 annual report pegged Burrard Thermal's usage at less than 1% capacity in each of the past five years.
After its closure, Burrard Thermal will remain as a voltage regulator, balancing voltage brought to the Lower Mainland from the Interior.
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