Supply, demand mismatch in electricity
Nanaimo council’s decision to prohibit natural gas as the principal heat source for new home builds as of July 2024 is a nice gesture toward our need to reduce fossil fuel use to mitigate effects of climate change.
But it raises a question no one seems to be addressing: Where are all the extra electrons going to come from? Both Victoria and Saanich have made similar commitments so now three major Vancouver Island jurisdictions have mandated increased use of electricity.
The great majority of the mid and south Island’s electricity comes from a major transmission line from the mainland.
Has there been any accompanying proposal to significantly increase its capacity?
Add to this the federal government’s requirement that all new light-duty vehicles sold be electric by 2035 and it seems we’re facing a major mismatch of supply and demand in the near future.
As a suggestion, perhaps when municipalities ban fossil fuels in new builds, they should also mandate no radiant electric heating as a substitute.
Heat pump systems are much more efficient, requiring just one 220 circuit.
Perhaps a major incentive for homeowners to install solar panel capture and storage systems would help limit increased demand on the grid, especially one as limited as on Vancouver Island.
Perhaps our politicians should take a more holistic view when making decisions like these behind city council — and federal cabinet — doors.
Kevin Bishop
Saanich
Economic results a sign of flying blind
The headline in the Thursday edition, about the release of the 2022-3 provincial financials, referred to the “multi-billion dollar swings in forecasts.”
This would appear on the surface to the lay reader to be a sign of Treasury staff’s inability to forecast.
However, if one looks deeper at the situation since the outbreak of COVID, it becomes apparent that, just like Bonnie Henry dealing with the COVID phenomenon, Treasury staff is now flying blind with no ability to obtain guidance from previous experience of similar situations.
Just look at the wide variance of professional economists’ predictions of the past three years and the subsequent economic realities — or even our personal expectations.
We are now in a totally different economic and demographic environment that defies meaningful predictive powers in many ways.
Perhaps a simple headline reporting the surplus and nothing more would have been more appropriate — even though bad news, the theory goes, sells newspapers.
Roger Love
Saanich
On West Coast we have a lawn unto ourselves
Along the southern coast of British Columbia, we have brown lawns in the summer and green lawns in the winter.
In the rest of Canada, they have green lawns in the summer and two feet of snow in the winter.
Anyone want to trade places?
Earl Fowler
View Royal
Spend less on paint, spend more on salaries
A recent letter said the Washington State Ferries were not as nice as B.C. Ferries.
Maybe they are not as nicely painted and as “yacht” looking as our fleet, but they are amazingly clean, functional and well run.
We were just in Bremerton and took the fast passenger ferry to Seattle in 25 minutes.
The car ferry was 50 minutes. Imagine having two ferry options to get to your destination!
I don’t think any B.C. passengers have any grief with the wonderful B.C. Ferries workers, as they are most pleasant and efficient, unlike upper management, who just can’t seem to hire and keep enough of these amazing workers.
Maybe using less money on art paint and offering full-time employment, paying these workers better wages and benefits, would encourage more workers to apply … hence there wouldn’t be so many cancellations. … Imagine that!
Sherrie Boyte
Sidney
Too little vs. too much as we deal with fires
Two stories in the Tuesday paper caught my eye.
The penalty for throwing a cigarette butt out a car window and the cost of fighting forest fires.
Cost of fighting B.C. fires, half a billion dollars and the fine for throwing a cigarette butt out a car window, $575; $575 is not enough.
I suggest a $2,500 fine, impounding the vehicle, licence suspension and points against their insurance.
A photo and a name would be nice, too.
Gerald Marantz
Parksville
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
• Email letters to: [email protected]
• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5
• Your submissions should be no more than 250 words; subject to editing for length and clarity. Please provide your contact information, including municipality; it will not be published. Avoid sending your letter as an email attachment.
